


A Star Among Planets

by Wolfcry22



Series: Stars And Planets [1]
Category: Star Wars - All Media Types, Star Wars: Rebels
Genre: Chopper - Freeform, Fluff and Angst, Gen, Grief, Humor, Injury, Jedi, Lightsabers, Post-Order 66, Rebellion, Rebels, Republic, Sith, Violence, ghost - Freeform, stormtroopers - Freeform
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-03-07
Updated: 2020-09-05
Packaged: 2021-02-28 22:53:17
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 107
Words: 265,540
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23045077
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Wolfcry22/pseuds/Wolfcry22
Summary: It is now the end of the Clone Wars and there is no hope in sight. The only option of for the remaining Jedi to retreat and count their losses. That is what happened to Caleb Dume, otherwise known as Kanan Jarrus. His best friend, a puma named Mietro, manage to escape the destruction of the newfound Empire. Although, a devastating injury befalls Mietro and he takes the name Halftail. They retreat and manage to find two pilots by the name of Hera and Bine. Their crew only grows from there as does the Rebellion. However, is this all that they've ever wanted? Or has the Empire won before they even start their Rebellion?Warning for mentions of violence, gore, medical conditions such as seizures, and intravenous injections.
Relationships: Kanan Jarrus/Hera Syndulla
Series: Stars And Planets [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1918201
Kudos: 18





	1. Loss

**Author's Note:**

> This will be a fairly long story based off of the Star Was Rebels show with original characters. It will directly follow the events with some minor deviance from plot points. Contains violence, graphic depictions of illness/injury, and mild language.

"Run Mietro! Run Kanan!"

A large light brown colored puma stopped dead in his tracks as he swiveled his head while his black tipped ears twitched. His bright green eyes widened in absolute terror and his mouth gaped open to reveal pearly white fangs. "Master!"

A man stopped beside the puma and gave him a harsh kick to the ribs. It didn't hurt the puma, more startled him, but he refused to listen. "Master, please!"

“Mietro, we have to go," snapped the man with blood running down his arm where a deep wound from a blaster had nearly severed his arm.

A once powerful dark brown and black spotted jaguar laid on the ground, with blood spilling from his mouth, looked up painfully. "Listen to Kanan, Mietro. You have to go. I can't be with you anymore."

Mietro had experienced more death than he could count but this one stung the most. "But I can't just leave you to die," he argued with tears shinning in his eyes.

“There they are," announced a few clone troopers as they rounded on them. Mietro recognized the commander and his closest friend, besides Kanan, Commander Hawk. He had been at Mietro and his Master's side for years and now he was trying to kill them.

Kanan pushed Mietro away from his Master. "We have to go, now!" Mietro looked up at his friend, but Kanan wasn't about to let him finish. "Listen to Master Brist. We have to leave!"

Master Brist raised a paw and placed something into Mietro's paw. It was two holocrons. "Take these and go," he panted as blood began to pulse from his neck and shoulder. "Go, and don't look back, promise me."

Mietro gasped as tears streamed down his face. "I promise," he croaked.

“I will always be with you. We will be connected by the force. I love you, as my son, now please, go," he coughed as blood began to bubble from his lips and Mietro took a terrified step back.

Kanan grasped Mietro by the scruff and threw him off his paws. He landed a few pawsteps away and Kanan lowered to take the holocrons. "Go, now!"

Mietro didn't argue this time. He looked back once more to his dying Master before he turned and sprinted forward. Kanan followed, slower but still quick. Mietro was able to travel at a place that Kanan just couldn't get to, which made it easier for Mietro to grieve for a few heartbeats before he exploded back into view.

“There are the two Padawans," announced a clone trooper named Pine as he pointed a finger at Mietro and Kanan.

They began firing and a blaster sliced through Mietro's ear. Blood spurted out and pain flooded his eyes. Kanan kept him on track as they managed to find their Masters' ship. Mietro stumbled aboard with Kanan slightly dragging him the rest of the way, despite his wounded arm. 

The clones continued to fire but Kanan closed the ship's door in a hurry before he turned to the controls. He started it up easily and quickly exited the atmosphere. Luckily, they hadn't had a whole fleet with them this time, so jumping to hyperspace was relatively easy. 

Kanan then turned and saw Mietro crumpled at the ground, tears dropping onto his large paws. He frowned as he came over and rested a hand on Mietro's shoulder. "I'm sorry for your loss," he empathized.

Mietro raised his head. "And for yours. You lost your Master as well," he pointed out before he looked at Kanan's arm. "You might want to have that checked out."

Kanan pointed to Mietro's tail. "How about that? That wasn't a clean shot."

Mietro hadn't even looked at it. He turned his head and the smell of rotting flesh nearly made his vomit. He took his tail gingerly in his teeth and saw how the blaster had struck his bone and made it through most of his flesh. He sighed heavily and shook his head. "There's no saving it."

Kanan lowered down and went to touch it but Mietro scooted away. "Maybe I could-"

“I need you to cut it off," interrupted Mietro as he turned his tail toward Kanan. "With your lightsaber. Just slice right through it."

Kanan seemed a bit surprised. "Don't you need your tail for balance?"

Mietro thought about that before shrugging. "I will still have half of a tail. I might be able to balance without part of my tail. I certainly can't do anything with half my tail just limp and useless."

Kanan thought about it for a second before nodding. "Okay, if you say so." He activated his lightsaber before lowering it down, close to Mietro's tail. Mietro curled his claws into his paws before Kanan swung the lightsaber down. It sliced through Mietro's tail cleanly and Mietro couldn't help but snarl in agony, his fur standing on end.

Kanan lowered down and examined it. "Yep, that's clean."

Mietro forced himself to look and he frowned. His tail was now half it's length and it felt strange. He was unbalanced and really didn't feel like himself. He knew that it was something he was going to have to get used to, but, things just seemed colder around him.

Once he was done feeling pity for himself, he looked to Kanan. "Your turn," he murmured as he pushed to his tired paws and dragged himself forward, toward Kanan. He sniffed at his wound and realized it was just as deep and dangerous as his. "Hopefully you won't have to lose your arm."

Kanan pushed Mietro a bit. "I won't! I'm not letting you slice off my arm!”

Mietro's eyes fell and he took a step back. "Alright then, then you can manage your wound yourself. Did you spend a few moons in the healers' wing? No! Do you know much about injuries? No! However, go ahead, be my guest." He stopped over to another room in the ship, painfully aware that he was walking at an angle thanks to his half tail. He looked at it again and snarled, longing to slice the rest off and call himself a bobcat.

He heard a knock at the door, but he ignored it. He knew that Kanan expressed grief different than he did but the words he said sliced him to the bone. He had a history of medical procedures that allowed him to collect a grasp for both medicinal healing and healing done on other planets with more herbs and home remedies. His Master had always welcomed a chance for Mietro to show off his skills, especially because he was in the healers' wing more than he was on missions. He wasn't the strongest Jedi and that was probably why he was always overlooked.

Kanan used to never overlook him. Their Masters were friends so they were always on missions. They would travel to dangerous worlds and Kanan would usually be more of use than Mietro was. Mietro would usually be sick and have to do the easy work, despite his valiant efforts. His Master never minded but that was because he had an understanding for how Mietro felt, always being ill and weak.

Mietro swiveled his head toward his belt. He growled as he whipped it off. It collided with the wall and he was sure that Kanan heard that. He stumbled over and looked at it. It held his lightsaber, which could be held by his paw or with his tail, depending on the situation. He opened one of the leather compartments and saw that it held numerous medications. Mietro used to take them everyday but now he only took them when he felt like it. 

The second compartment held a tuft of fur. That was from his Master. He had given that to him when he was young, telling him that as long as he had that his Master would be with him. Mietro wasn't sure why he still had that when it was really a story for kits but he couldn't bring himself to discard it. The last compartment had all of his personal things. Anything that he would need. it carried. The bled also blended into his fur so no one knew he was carrying it. 

The final compartment Mietro had added himself. His Master told him to only have three but he placed four on there. In there were four small pebbles, each a different color. He had collected them from Naboo, near the waters. They represented every member of his family that he had lost. The pebbles may be heavy in his satchel but so was the loss that he endured. He would never admit to anyone how much death had always shaken him.

He heard another knock on the door and he turned and hissed. "Mietro, I know that you're in there. May I come in?"

Mietro licked his teeth as they dripped with saliva as he snarled. "It's a free ship. You can do whatever you want," he snapped as he picked up his bleat and thrust it over in a bin, not wanting to see it ever again.

Kanan opened up the door and saw Mietro sprawled out. Mietro saw that Kanan had made a metal, almost armor, covering for his arm and Mietro had to admit it looked pretty cool. Too bad they didn't have something like that for his tail. That might make him feel a bit better.

Kanan came in and sat on Mietro's bed, or really cot in the wall. He had always gotten the bottom with his Master on top since his Master could climb better than him. "What do you want," inquired Mietro but it came out more of a snap.

Kanan sighed. "I'm sorry about how harsh I was."

Mietro shrugged. "It's not your fault. We're all tense right now. We watched everything that we've fought for for years crumple at our paws. That's a hard rock to swallow."

Kanan smiled at Mietro's cat metaphors. "How many of us do you think are left?"

Mietro tipped his head. "Not a lot. We were never expecting anything like that. If they wanted to shake it to their core then they succeeded."

Kanan shook his head. "No, they didn't."

Mietro tilted his head. "How can you say that? Most of the Jedi are dead and the others in hiding, like us. How can you say that they didn't succeed?" 

Kanan looked at Mietro and Mietro tried to look away but he just couldn't. "We are sill here and we will fight to our last breath to avenge our Masters, right?" Mietro didn't answer. "Right?!"

Mietro looked up with tears in his eyes. "Life can do such terrible things."

Kanan sighed heavily. "You're right. However, now is giving us a chance."

“A chance to do what," inquired Mietro in a dry and lifeless tone.

Kanan kneeled down on the ground next to Mietro. "To make things right."


	2. Allies

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Kanan and Mietro need to start making some connections and fast.

They stopped once they dropped out of hyperspace at a planet that Mietro had never been to before. It wasn't guarded at all, but then again, it was where all the smugglers went. Mietro felt strange at the thought of landing somewhere where criminals walked free with their heads held high. However, they were no longer Jedi so to everyone else they were just criminals thanks to everyone they had killed.

“We need fuel. Now stay close to me," whispered Kanan over his shoulder.

Mietro didn't have to be told twice. There were drunk people all over, whom Mietro didn't need a closer look at. He pressed close to Kanan and tried to breathe as shallowly as possible.

They entered a bar and Mietro saw some unkindly felines with their muscles bulging, who seemed to be eyeing him and his half tail as a snack. He gave a low growl to warn them off but it just seemed as if they wanted to come closer. However, they passed him and strode toward a beautiful snow leopard. Her blue eyes gleamed in the light while her claws extended.

“Leave me alone," hissed the leopard as she stood her ground from where she had been eating a half eaten wing of some sort of animal. 

The larger cat pushed the she-cat's haunch. "That might be our prey now," he taunted as he bared his teeth.

The leopard lashed a paw and her claws sliced through his cheek. The cat snarled and lowered a bit. "Oh, yeah!"

Before he could leap for the snow leopard, Mietro darted forward and snarled at the cat. "You heard her, leave her be! She had this first so go get your own."

“Ha," spat the tom as he looked to his friends. "This half tailed cat thinks that he can tell me what to do." He thrust his muzzle toward Mietro's ear. "Back off, stubby."

Mietro shook his head. "I said, leave her alone," he repeated as his half tail lashed, causing pain to surge through him light lightning. 

The tom lunged but Mietro stepped sideways. This cat had no idea that he was a Jedi. He was as agile with his lightsaber as he was without it. He set his paws firmly as he prepared for their attack. The tom seemed surprised, but he didn't hold back. He darted forward again and tried to sink his teeth into Mietro's shoulder.

Mietro ducked before he surged upwards and leaped onto the tom's shoulders. He managed to bring him to the ground and he sunk his teeth into the back of his neck. The other two were about to surge forward but the she-cat slammed a paw forward. "I don't think so."

Mietro sliced off half the tom's ear. The tom yowled in pain and eyes turned to them. Mietro stepped off of his back and lashed his tail in anger. The pain seared through him but, he really didn't want to let it show. He faced the tom that had first attacked him while the other felines looked on fearfully. “Leave this place and never come back,” Mietro snarled. The group didn’t waste anytime in turning and pelting away, leaving a trail of blood in their wake. Mietro nodded firmly as he looked over to the she-cat, who was finishing the wing.

Once she was finished she looked up to Mietro, wanting to say something but not really sure what to say. "I suppose I should thank you, but I know that I could have handled that by myself."

Mietro snorted. "You would have been scraped if I wasn't here," he argued as he narrowed his eyes.

She shook her head. "Not at all. I've been taking care of myself from moons," she pointed out as she licked the rest of the meat from the bone. "I don't need your help."

Mietro looked over at her and sighed heavily. "I beg to differ, but maybe you could have taken care of them. We'll never know."

He turned to stride toward Kanan and leave the leopard alone, but he heard the she-cat call him back. "Wait! I'm sorry, that was rude. Thank you for helping me out. I've just been used to taking care of myself. I'm Bine, by the way."

Mietro dipped his head, but he realized that he didn't want to give her the name that he had been known as for years. He wasn’t Mietro anymore. That was a name that would only live in his past, in a life that he would spend the rest of his life trying to forget. No, he needed a name to mark the next part of his journey without being a Jedi. 

“I'm Halftail."

Bine turned her head as he spoke and looked at his tail. "What happened? I know that you weren't born with that," she meowed gently.

He looked away. "I'd rather not talk about it," he confessed before she almost smiled.

Halftail then looked us Kanan came over with a green Twi'lek. "Hera," inquired Bine as she looked up at her. "What are you doing with him?"

Halftail swiveled his head to look at Bine. "That's Kanan, my friend," he answered before he flicked a paw at Hera. "Who is this and why is she here?”

Bine looked back over to Halftail. "She's my friend, Halftail."

“Halftail," repeated Kanan in surprise but Halftail just looked at his paws so Kanan didn't push it. "Hera and Bine have been grateful enough to allow us to travel with them in their ship, now that ours will be tracked by the newly formed empire."

“Why is that," asked Bine as she blinked her eyes.

Halftail sighed heavily and shook his head. "There's a lot to explain, but we probably shouldn't do it here," he suggested while Kanan nodded in agreement.

“I'll lead you to our ship," Hera told Kanan and Halftail as Bine darted to her side. Her black spots made her seem almost graceful by themselves and Halftail shook his head. He couldn't think like that.

Hera took them outside and showed them a nice sized ship. "Welcome to the Ghost."

The back opened and Bine darted forward with Halftail following. "I'll show you around," offered Bine as she began to climb the ladder expertly. Halftail managed to climb them just as fast, despite not having half of his tail. Jedi learned quick and Halftail was suddenly thankful for that. 

He landed beside Bine who waved a paw at him. “There are a few quarters down the hall this way and this way is the cockpit and this leads to a smaller ship called The Phantom."

Halftai's mind was struggling to keep up. "That's quite a lot of space."

Hera chuckled as she came in with Kanan behind her. "Don't overwhelm them all at once, Bine. How about you go and take Halftail and Kanan to their room?"

Bine's eyes glowed as she nodded. "Sure thing! Follow me." She flicked her long tail over her shoulder and marched forward. Kanan climbed the ladder and followed Bine with Halftail right behind. She stopped at the last room and opened the door through a keypad. "You can change that later." She strode through and invited them in. 

Halftail pushed through and saw a bed pressed against the side of the room. There was a drawer and some other things placed around the room. This looked a lot like the headquarters that Halftail was used to sleeping at with his master. Just the thought made Halftail's heart ache.

“This is great, Bine, thanks," meowed Halftail as he dipped his head to her.

Bine smiled back. "I'll leave you two to get adjusted." She looked at a small bag. "It doesn't look like you two have a lot but-"

“We travel light," interrupted Kanan and Bine seemed a bit taken back. 

Bine took a step back. "Well, we will be taking off soon so if you feel anything, that's what it is," she meowed before she bounded back down the hallway.

The door closed behind her before Kanan turned to Halftail. "So, Halftail?"

Halftail curled his claws into the pads of his paws. "It's a new chapter in our lives. Besides, I don't deserve to be called Mietro anymore," he growled as his head hung.

Kanan's eyes softened as he kneeled down. "If we were going off of what we deserve then I wouldn't even be alive. You don’t deserve to remanded yourself because of what you look like."

Halftail sighed heavily. "But, I do. It’s part of my culture. Besides, it suits me. I'm alright with it, but you can't tell anyone. I don't want them knowing about our past."

Kanan rested a hand on Halftail's shoulder. "You can count on me."

Halftail smiled before Kanan grasped their small bag and placed it in front of them. Halftail stuck a paw in and grasped his Jedi belt. "You actually brought it."

“I couldn't just leave everything that means anything to you behind, especially your medication," he pointed out and embarrassment sparked through Halftail. He hated to know that he was weak or that he had to take medication just to function. He really hoped that no one on the ship found out, especially Bine. 

Halftail dipped his head. "Thanks," he meowed as he pushed it aside a bit, trying not to hiss at it. Hissing at his problems didn't make them go away, but it made him feel better.

He saw Kanan take out some clothes and his lightsaber. He looked at it before he opened a drawer and stuffed it in there. "What are you doing," asked Halftail in surprise.

Kanan dropped his gaze. "You changed your name and I have no more use for that. We are no longer Jedi."

Surprise lit in Halftail's heart but he knew it was true. There was nothing left to fight for, nothing left to do. He turned his head and picked up his own lightsaber and dropped it beside Kanan's. "I won't be needing this either, it seems, since the Jedi Order is gone," he mumbled.

Kanan shook his head. "They may be gone, but we are still here. We can fight this new empire with all that we have. We at least owe our masters that much."

Halftail looked up and squinted his eyes. "It's not only about us now. We have Hera and Bine. We can't just drag them into something that they aren't prepared for. If we're going to do it, we'll do it right. We'll tell them the situation and see if they're with us."

“And if not," pressed Kanan as he fixed Halftail with a strong stare.

Halftail opened his mouth to answer, but he quickly shut it when he realized he didn’t have one. His head hung as he tried to make sense of his thoughts. "I don't know. Then we're on our own again, I suppose.” Just then, the ship began to lurch, signaling that they were leaving the platform.

Kanan walked toward the entrance to the room before looking back over his shoulder to Halftail. “Are you coming,” he asked.

Halftail shook his head. “Not right now. I’ll join you later, but for now I’m going to rest for a bit.” With that he padded over to the single bed and leaped onto it. He nearly sunk into it’s softness as he tried to swallow a heavy purr that threatened to leave his throat. 

Kanan gave a firm nod as he headed out of the room with the door closing behind him. Halftail listened to him leave as he rested his head on his paws and closed his eyes in exhaustion. He had no idea if it was a good thing or not for him and Kanan to find Hera and Bine, but he did know that anything had to be better than the feeling of loss that surged through him whenever he thought about how much he had lost.


	3. No Longer Jedi

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Why does Halftail feel a strange feeling in his chest anytime he’s around Bine? And why is he suddenly seeking her out?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A little more character building here especially between Halftail and Bine.

When they were in orbit, Halftail woke up and realized that Kanan had left the room, forgetting that he had watched him leave when he had closed his eyes. He rose to his paws and leaped from the bed. He turned his head and realized that he still only had half a tail. I had a dream where my tail was full like it should be but, that's why they're called dreams. They're never real, Halftail thought. 

He stomped forward and the door swished open. He strode down the hallway and into what appeared to be a makeshift living room where he saw Bine laying on a couch. She laid with her head rested on her paws but her ears twitched and swiveled a bit on her head.

Halftail turned to leave but Bine's voice filled the room. "Halftail, is that you?"

He couldn't lie, so he sighed. "Yes, it's me. I didn't mean to wake you. I thought that maybe Kanan was in here," he rambled as he fumbled for answers. 

Bine lifted her head and smiled. "Were you looking for Kanan," inquired Bine as she tilted her head as her tail tip twitched madly. 

Halftail shook his head. He hadn't been looking for him, he just didn't want to tell Bine that he was secretly looking for her. "No, I don't know what I was looking for, nothing I suppose."

She purred warmly and patted the space beside her. "How about you come and sit by me then and tell me something about yourself since I don't really know a lot about you?

Halftail wasn't about to argue as he strode forward. "I don't know a lot about you, either," he confessed as he leaped onto the couch beside her, aware that their fur was brushing. 

Bine snorted in amusement. "I asked to talk about you first," she pointed as she nearly cuffed his ears. "So, why did you need our ship and our help?"

Halftail bit his lip. "Kanan and I were Jedi. Something happened and the clones attacked and tried to kill us. We couldn't have our ship anymore or we'd be killed and we also needed someone to trust."

“Do you trust me," inquired Bine as she forced Halftail to look into her shinning, blue eyes. 

Halftail smiled. "I do. I stuck up for you, didn't I?" He felt his heart beat madly in his chest. He had no idea why this was happening to him. This had never happened before. 

“Why did you do that," wondered Bine as she drew back a bit. "No one has only done that for me before besides Hera. Why would you risk your pelt for mine?"

“Jedi training," lied Halftail as he looked away as she drew back. "It always prepares you to help those who need your help and I saw that you needed my help. You needed that wing of food more than they did."

Bine sighed. "Yeah, I'll take any scraps," she purred before she rested her head on her paws again. "You probably think less of me because of that."

Halftail shook his head madly. "No way! I've had to do the same thing," he pointed out as he touched his nose to her ear to comfort her. "It's how we survive."

Bine perked up a bit. "What about your name really? You couldn't have been born the name Halftail," she meowed as she gingerly touched her luxurious tail with his. He flinched a bit but he allowed her to run her tail around his.

Halftail shook his head vigorously. "You're right. However, I don't deserve to be called by my real name," he argued as he growled under his breath. 

“And why is that," breathed Bine as her breath bathed his muzzle as she leaned forward. 

“A lot of people have died because of me," whimpered Halftail as he saw his Master laying in front of him with blood bubbling from his lips. He loved his Master like a father, despite what the code had said, so his death had felt like a dagger to the heart. 

“I'm sure it wasn't your fault," protested Bine with gentle eyes. "You're a wholehearted tom and that is extremely hard to find."

Halftail lifted his head and exchanged a look with her. Both couldn't look away and Halftail's heart continued to pump blood madly through his body. "T-Thanks," he stammered as he wanted to dip his head but he couldn't. He couldn't look away from her eyes. They were too beautiful.

She sighed heavily and amusement glittered in her eyes. "What," asked Halftail as he drew back a bit.

She purred warmly as she leaped down and curled her tail under her. Halftail's eyes followed her, unblinking and intense as he gazed at her. "Boy, can I tell you a wonderful thing. I can't help but notice you're staring at me. I know I shouldn't say this but I really believe I can tell by your eyes that you're in love with me."

Halftail's mouth gaped open in shock. He couldn't say anything but he knew what Bine was saying was true. He had stood up for her because she was the most beautiful she-cat he had ever seen and he had fallen in love with her from the heartbeat he had seen her. Now she knew the truth and embarrassment rushed through him

“I'm sorry," he rasped as he stepped down from the couch, looking away with shame in his eyes. "I er um..."

Bine strode over to him and touched her nose to his cheek. "You don't have to be sorry to me. I do have to admit when you saved me I lashed out because I couldn't believe that such a striking tom might have actually saved me."

Halftai's eyes widened. "I'm not striking, at all," he argued as his head swung a bit. "I have half a tail."

“And I love it the way that it is," breathed Bine as she brushed her long tail against his flank. "Now, I have to help Hera with the ship but I'd love to talk to you again tonight."

Halftail nodded vigorously. "I'd love that! Here?"

She dipped her head and strode toward the door. Halftail sat back on his haunches and sucked in a breath. What was he doing? He was still a Jedi, wasn't he? He couldn't fall in love with anyone, let alone a rebel like Bine. However, she had captured his heart and there was nothing that he could do.

“Halftail?"

Halftail froze, fur on end, as he heard Kanan's voice. He wanted to say that he wasn't in there but his mouth became dry and he couldn't form any words.

Kanan managed to find him and he frowned at Halftail. "Are you okay?"

Halftail wanted to tell him everything but he couldn't. "Y-Yeah, I'm fine." He looked up to Kanan and regained his voice. "Did you speak to Hera about all of this?"

He nodded a bit as he kneeled down. "She agrees that things are only going to get worse. She's in. How about Bine?"

Just at the mention of Bine, Halftail's heart started to patter again. "She's er in too, I think," he mumbled as if he was speaking through a rock or cotton.

Kanan thought it was a bit strange but he didn't question it. He just grasped some pills from his pocket and spread them in front of Halftail. "Go on."

Halftail growled before he chewed on each one painfully and bitterly as the taste filled his mouth. It was terrible, but he couldn't do anything about it. Once he was finished he sat back on his haunches. "Do you think life will punish us for doing wrong?"

Kanan was a bit surprised by the question. "I have no idea. Perhaps, but I can't tell you for certain," he answered as he stood to his full height.

Halftail nodded slowly. "Thank you. That's what I wanted to know," he meowed as he rose to his paws, kinking as much of his tail over his back as he could muster. He hoped that life would give him a break, but that wasn't how life usually worked.

Kanan them seemed to realize the true reason he came in. "We received a message through the holocron," he explained as he took out both of their glowing holocrons.

“From who," inquired Halftail, forgetting for a heartbeat about Bine and what she may be doing.

The holocrons opened to reveal Master Obi-Wan Kenobi. Halftail had only met him a pawful of times. However, he was greatly respected and Halftail would listen to anything that he had to say. 

Obi-Wan told them how the Jedi order was destroyed and how they would need to go into hiding until they could face the Empire. Once he was finished, Halftail looked up to Kanan. "We're no longer Jedi, are we," he breathed, a bit afraid of the answer.

Kanan looked to the drawer that now held both of their lightsabers. "I'm afraid not."

Halftail hung his head, his whiskers brushing against his toes. "There's got to be something we can do. I don't want to hide for my whole life."

“We won't," vowed Kanan with a glimmer in his eyes. "We have to do something to at least hinder the Empire."

Halftail glowed at that idea. "I can give them enough trouble to think twice about what they are doing," he assured with the fur along his spine bristling to make himself seem larger than normal.

Kanan laughed. "I bet we all can, and who knows, perhaps we'll find more people like us."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Things will pick up soon action wise. Until then there will be a little more background building, but things are about to get a lot more exciting.


	4. Midnight Meeting

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Halftail and Bine meet secretly as their feelings start to become clear.

Halftail crept from his room once Kanan had begun to snore, letting him know that not even a thunderstorm could wake him up. He strode from the door and bounded down the hallway, slipping through as silently as possible. He was suddenly thankful for not only his Jedi training, but also the training that his Master was able to give him on the normal practice of creatures such as them. They were pumas and bobcats, who were known to be silent hunters as they moved through the night. Halftail was thankful that it was of use to him this instance and not only during a hunt or during tracking. He slid into the living room and he saw that Bine was waiting for him with bright eyes and her tail curled around her paws. 

“I thought you weren't coming," she chuckled.

Halftail shook his head. "I would never miss this! I just had to wait until Kanan was asleep so he wouldn't ask any questions," he meowed calmly. "I don't need Kanan’s questions right now."

Bine smiled timidly. "Hera has the ship on autopilot as we travel through hyperspace, so there's no way she's waking up," she assured before she took a step forward and Halftail was, once again, captivated by her eyes. He wasn't sure why those eyes were so intriguing, but they pulled him in deeper than any meditation or trance ever had. 

“That's good," breathed Halftail as he smiled sheepishly. He wasn't sure why he felt suddenly shy. "Because we don't need anyone to know about this yet."

Bine chuckled warmly. "Very true." She blinked her eyes and gazed into his.

“Have you ever said that thing that you said to me earlier to anyone else," wondered Halftail as he shuffled his paws a bit under him.

Bine rolled her eyes. "Oh yeah! All the time to every tom that I meet," she teased as she flicked a paw forward, her claws extended a bit.

Halftail let out a playful growl and cuffed one of her ears in turn, but she ducked away quickly before he could land the playful blow. “I was being serious! How could you tell how I was feeling," he inquired. Supposedly Jedi could, like himself, but he wasn't sure if ever day creatures could.

Bine purred. "You don't have to be a Jedi to tell what is going on inside your head, Halftail. Like I said, I saw you staring at me like that and I could tell what that meant."

Halftail blushed at the thought that he could be an open book to her. "I'm sorry that it was so sudden. It usually doesn't happen to me like that but-"

“It's fine, Halftail," assured Bine as she took a step forward and smiled at him. "You don't have to apologize for anything. We can figure these things out as we go. Besides, we're going to be rebels together, right?" She lowered into a playful crouch and shot out a jab at him.

He let her hit him and he jolted sideways a bit before he leaped and brought her to the ground, using his full weight. "Right," he agreed as he swished half of his tail behind him playfully.

Bine then gingerly pushed him off and sighed heavily. "Should we let Hera or Kanan know?"

Halftail knew Kanan and he was sure that he'd find out, but if he didn't fess up to it, Kanan might not jab as hard. "No," he answered with a shake of his head. "What Kanan and Hera don't know won't hurt them."

“You're so secretive," murmured Bine as she took a step forward and brushed her head against Halftail's shoulder. "Surely you should let someone know some things about you."

He wanted to tell Bine that he was telling her things, but it wasn't anything deep or that someone who just looked at him wouldn't know. "Maybe I'll learn from you," he joked as he rested his head between her shoulder blades.

She took a step back and fluffed out her white and black spotted fur. "You have a lot more than that to learn from me," she teased before she touched her nose to his. 

He felt his heart thump madly once more. One day of not being a Jedi and he was already breaking a major code in beginning to fall in love with Bine. He closed his eyes and sighed heavily. Master, forgive me!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope everyone is doing well through this Coronavirus pandemic that is sweeping the world right now. It’s definitely a scary time and I would be lying if I said I wasn’t a little nervous. That being said, the social distancing should give me plenty of free time to write more in these next coming weeks. Stay safe everyone and may the force be with you!


	5. Lasata and Anoobas

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A rescue mission results in helping two injured during a raid may just add to the Ghost’s crew.

A few years later

Shouts sounded in Halftail's ear as he darted forward, leaping over anything in his path. The sound of blasterfire behind him intensified behind him and when he looked back, he flinched. The breath was caught in his throat, but he managed to keep cool. His goal was to have them follow him, not anyone else. 

Kanan had to steal some supplies and take them to Hera, while he and Bine were supposed to distract the empire. However, he hadn't seen Bine.

“I want that puma’s head," snarled one of the guards.

Halftail was used to that and he loved to purr when they spoke like that. He ducked behind a hut that used to have Lasats in it. However, most of them were dead or fatally injured. The Empire had tried to exterminate an entire species. Halftail couldn't believe it and the thought made his blood boil in his veins.

Halftail suddenly spied Bine standing over an injured Lasat and an Anooba was standing over him, protecting him. Bine was trying to calm him down so that they wouldn't alert the Empire to his location. The Anooba's ears plastered against his head and a growl rolled in his throat, but he became quiet thanks to Bine’s gentle coaxing.

Bine looked over to Halftail and gulped, pleading for his help. He sighed as he looked over his shoulder. He curled his claws into his pads before he darted toward a Stormtrooper. He reared on his hind legs and brought him to the ground easily. The Stormtroopers shot at him but he used his Jedi senses and dodged them easily. They weren't the best hunters in the field.

“Move," yowled Halftail, directing his comment to Bine, but to the Stormtroopers it looked like they he was speaking to them.

Bine growled at the Anooba and between the two of them, they managed to displace the weight of the Lasat. They puffed as they strode toward the Ghost and Kanan. Once Halftail knew that he could no longer take care of Stormtroopers on his own, he lowered down and lunged forward. 

A blast nearly sliced into his ear as he ducked aside just in the nick of the time. He panted madly as he surged forward, trying not to trip over his own paws or tail. He pulled forward as he drew closer Bine. He wiggled under the Lasat and tried to take some of his weight as he growled. "We have to move!"

“We're trying," muttered the Anooba as he shot a glance over to Halftail. He was larger than Halftail, but Halftail was certainly smarter, at least he thought.

Kanan raised an eyebrow as he saw the group coming forward. "What are you doing," he gasped as blasterfire sounded behind them.

“We found him. We can't just leave him," argued Bine as she struggled under his weight.

Kanan sighed as he used the force to raise him into the Ghost. He then picked up Bine and Halftail and threw them into the Ghost, not so gently. They both landed on their paws and waited for the two to follow.

“Come on," coaxed Kanan as he lowered down, motioning for the Anooba to come toward him.

The Anooba shook his head, fear showing in his eyes. The blasterfire was getting closer and Kanan took out his blaster and blasted one easily. “Come on," urged Halftail from above. “He can't lift you up with the force if you're resisting like that. You're certainly very force-sensitive."

The Anooba let out a grunt as he relaxed and allowed Kanan to pull him up with the force. Once he was safely on board, Kanan jumped in.

“Go," yowled Bine as she closed the hanger door as more blasts sounded and she leaped back. 

Hera quickly obeyed and the ship set off. "Thank Starbound," breathed Halftail as he slumped to the ground, fatigue pulsing through him. "That was a close one."

He turned his head as he saw the Anooba sniffing the Lasat's face and he whimpered. Halftail dragged himself forward, despite the burning in his own paws, and looked at the Anooba. The Anooba immediately turned and snarled at Halftail. Halftail reared a bit on his hind legs, using his half tail for balance. "Easy! I'm not going to hurt you or him."

The Anooba relaxed a bit and sighed as he looked at blood oozing from the Lasat's side. He pressed a paw against it, but the blood kept flowing. Bine strode forward and brushed against Halftail. "What's your name," inquired Bine in a gentle voice that Halftail had found that numerous creatures responded to. 

The Anooba lifted his head and licked his chomps. "I'm Humolis. However, you can call me Molis or Mo.” He looked down to the Lasat. "And this is Zeb."

Halftail drew forward but Molis's fur stood on end, so he halted. He allowed Bine to inch forward and Halftail rolled his eyes. Of course, let Bine go and see the Lasat and not him. Bine sniffed the wound and looked over her shoulder to Hera and Kanan. "It's not that deep. He should be alright, but he will need medical attention."

Halftail sighed as he looked to Kanan. "I need some of those herbs that I collected a moon ago."

Kanan turned and obeyed to Halftail's relief. "You are a healer," murmured Molis as one of his ears twitched hopefully.

Hafltail romped forward and lashed his half tail. "It’s a long story," he meowed dismissively as he lowered down and sniffed at the wound. Bine drew back and kinked her tail over her back. Halftail nudged Molis aside a bit and realized that the wound wasn't that deep like Bine had said, but it was certainly used by a weapon that was less than clean. Infection was the real trouble now. 

Kanan returned and dropped some leaves at Halfatil's paws. Halftail preferred more natural ways of healing but unfortunately for his condition (that he wasn't going to talk about) there weren't herbs for it.

Halftail lowered his head and began to chew the leaves. He chewed it into a paste before he spat the paste into Zeb's wound. Zeb suddenly darted upward and cried out in pain. He swiped a paw against Halftail's cheek and Halftail snarled in pain. 

Kanan and Hera darted forward. "Easy," exclaimed Kanan as he rested a hand on Zeb's arm. "We're trying to help you but you need to let us help you!”

Zeb looked around madly. "Where am I? What is this place?" Anger showed in his eyes and Kanan struggled to keep him calm. "Who are you?!"

“It's okay," assured Hera as she lowered down. "You're on my ship, The Ghost. We saved you."

Zeb turned to Molis. "Mo, is this true?"

Molis dipped his head and sighed. "It is. Without these er rebels we both probably would have been killed," he pointed out as he smiled shyly at Bine.

Halftail finished with the paste and he wrapped some bandage around the area and took a step back. "Don't move too much or it'll rip and then we'll have bigger problems." 

Zeb rested a hand downward and grimaced in pain. He then looked to Halftail and grunted. "I will try not to move that much. Thank you-"

“Halftail," answered Halftail without even batting an eye. Zeb seemed surprised and his eyes, as well as Molis's eyes, traveled directly to his tail. He curled it a bit and showed them the stub that was now his tail. "My name is Halftail."

Molis then looked to Bine. "You were the one who found me. I think I have to thank you the most."

Bine shuffled her paws. "It was a group effort. My name is Bine."

Molis then looked up to Hera who stretched out a hand toward him. Molis took a step forward and allowed Hera to stroke him. "I'm Hera. I'm the pilot of this ship."

Kanan was talking quietly to Zeb so Halftail introduced him for him. "And that's Kanan. He's the leader here. He orders all of the rescues and everything else."

Molis looked over to Kanan and saw Zeb relax while he was with them. He was sure that these people he could trust. "Did you see any other Lasats or Anoobas escape?"

Bine and Halftail exchanged a glance before Bine took a step forward. "I'm afraid not. You and Zeb were the only ones that we found alive."

A growl rolled in Molis's throat as he slammed a paw against the ground. "They killed them! They killed her!"

“Who's her," inquired Halftail as he leaned forward.

As the ship entered hyperspace Molis turned and stomped toward Zeb. "You will never know."

Halftail seemed a bit taken back, but he didn't say anything. Bine's eyes lit in grief. "He'll get over it," assured Bine as she touched her nose to his cheek. "It just takes time. Grief is a dangerous thing and it makes people act out in strange ways. Perhaps they might even make a powerful asset to our team."

Halftail wasn't sure about that but he wasn't about to turn anyone down. Now they would grow in ranks, but also grow in trouble. The Empire was coming and there was nothing that anyone could do to stop it, at least not yet.


	6. Warnings From A Master

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Halftail receives a message from his past, but it may not be what he wants to hear.

Halftail slunk forward and pushed into the cockpit where Kanan and Hera were sitting in their respective seats, deciding where they were going to next. "Do you need any assistance," inquired Halftail as he swayed a bit on his paws.

A beeping sound sounded behind Halftail and he turned to see the droid that they had picked up on one of their supply missions. He pushed Halftail and Halftail pushed him away in response. "Get away, Chopper!"

Chopper beeped again and rolled away as Halftail rolled his eyes. "Try not to kill Chopper, Halftail," chuckled Hera as she looked back over her shoulder. 

Halftail whisked his tail behind him before he looked up to Hera. "I won't as long as he doesn't do that again," he muttered before he looked to Kanan. "So, do you need any help?"

Kanan shook his head. "I think we're good until we decide on another mission. How about you go and get some rest."

That struck Halftail like a nerve. He hadn't slept well in moons. Every night his sleep was plagued by nightmares and he rarely slept. Only Kanan and Bine knew, so Halftail knew it was a silent jab at him.

He dipped his head and took a step back. "Okay," he meowed quietly before he turned and strode out of the cockpit. He certainly wasn't going to sleep, but he was going to find Bine and see if he could speak to her alone. It was difficult since Molis always seemed to want to be around her. 

He bounded down the hallway and heard the soft voice of Bine behind her. "Who are you looking for?"

Halftail turned around and his eyes glowed. "Who do you think?" He turned and darted forward and touched his nose to hers, purring warmly.

She then wove around him and curled her tail around his tail. It was much shorted than hers, but she never seemed to mind it. "How are you doing? Did you have another nightmare last night?"

He frowned as he hung his head. "I think you know the answer to that, Bine," he pointed out as he pressed his nose against her cheek.

Bine wished she could help, but she couldn't. All she could do was offer support after they happened. “I'm so sorry this keeps plaguing you. I wish that I could really do something to help you."

Halftail shook his head. "It's not your fault." He suddenly gasped as pain shot through him like an electric current. He fell to the ground, his body beginning to convulse and seize madly. His limbs tensed and shook while his claws jutted from his paws. His toes seemed to sprawl despite Halftail’s futile attempts to stop it. His eyes stretched wide in agony as his tail buckled in strange positions and even his throat had tremors passing through it. 

“Halftail," wailed Bine as her eyes widened in terror. "What's wrong?" 

Halftail raised a paw and it shook madly and he felt his throat almost closing as he tried to speak. "Go into my room. The bag near the drawer. Hurry."

Bine didn't need to be told twice. She surged forward and opened the door easily. She easily spied what she was looking for and darted forward, She sunk her teeth into the bag and darted back toward Halftail, who was now shaking madly as his jaw fixed at an awkward angle. She dropped the bag and Halftail struck out a paw and dug inside. Bine watched as he tugged out a syringe and thrust it into his vein. He injected some strange colored liquid into himself, emptying the syringe quickly. Almost instantly he sighed heavily and pushed the syringe back into the bag and slumped to the ground in an exhausted heap.

“Are you alright," fretted Bine as she touched her nose to his trembling shoulder. 

Halftail sucked in a rattling breath and coughed heavily. His body shook as blood dripped from his mouth. "I'm alright," he rasped as his eyes grew cloudy and milky.

Bine had never seen Halftail like this before. It startled her to her core. “Are you ill? Should I go and get Kanan?" Fear made her voice tremble.

Halftail shook his head as he wiped the blood from his mouth with his paw. “I'll be alright in a few heartbeats. This is just a side effect," he assured and, sure enough, the blood dried up and so did his breathing. He still had a bit of a nosebleed, but he didn't seem to mind that.

“What was that," wondered Bine as she shook her head. "I've never seen anything like that happen to you before, but I assume that you did. You were certainly prepared for is.”

Halftail sighed as he shuffled his paws. "Yeah, that certainly wasn't the first time. I'm not as strong as I've tried to let you believe that I am."

Bine frowned. "I'm so sorry to hear that, but it doesn't make me love you any less," she vowed as she stared into Halftail's eyes, hoping to see some reaction.

Instead, he shifted his gaze away from her guiltily. “I never wanted you to see me like that. I didn't want you to know how sickly I really am," he wheezed as he sniffed the blood away as it began to dry.

Bine purred and it made her whole body vibrate. "You're not weak. You're stronger than you'll ever believe, Halftail," she meowed as she took a step forward and licked Halftail's cheek.

“Bine," Molis suddenly called as he turned the corner. "Could I have your help with the controls?"

Bine looked like she wanted to argue, but she didn't. "I'll be right there," she called to Molis and he dipped his head as he darted back around the corner.

“Go, I'll be fine," breathed Halftail as he shook his head to clear it. "I might try to get some rest like Kanan suggested. It might make me feel better."

Bine touched her nose to his, not caring about the crusty blood that was under his nose. "I'll see you later. Come and find me if you need anything.”

Halftail watched as she went, affection surging in his chest. Suddenly, Chopper surged forward and bumped Halftail's haunch. Halftail snarled as he turned and thrust out a paw toward Chopper in rage. "Chopper!" He darted toward the mech, but Chopper was faster.

A growl rolled in his throat, but he knew that going after Chopper was just foolish. He curled his lip as he grasped his bag between his teeth and pushed forward. "What's that?"

Halftail looked up and saw Zeb towering over him. The Lasat was healed now, but was quite nosy when he wanted to be, especially when it came to Halftail. "Nothing that concerns you," mumbled Halftail cooly as he tried to pass Zeb with his ears plastered against his head. 

Zeb blocked Halftail's path and smiled. "Let me see." He reached his arm down, but Halftail sidestepped quickly. Zeb would never let him live it down if he knew how ill Halftail was. Halftail lashed his tail before he darted forward and surged into his and Kanan's room. The door closed and relief sparked through Halftail.

It was followed by rage as he whipped the bag aside and he let out a snarl, baring his teeth and curling his lip as much as possible. Once he was finished he gave his head a shake and looked away. Numerous pills and syringes were scattered across the room, but he didn't care. He didn't want to take them. He hung his head with tears dripping onto his whiskers.

“Don't give up on yourself yet."

Halftail lifted his head and his mouth gaped open as he saw his Master with flowing fur and striking eyes standing in front of him. He looked young and strong, nothing like the wounded and skinny tom that had died in front of him so many years ago. 

“Master! What are you doing here?"

His Master shook his head and prowled around a bit. "I know a cry for help when I see one," he answered wistfully. 

Halftail wrinkled his nose. "A cry for help? It certainly wasn't from me," he argued as the fur along his spine bristled.

His Master sighed heavily. "Always so stubborn, yet brave. Thought that he doesn't need to show any weakness. Can't let his true emotions show."

Halftail let out a growl. "Showing weakness isn't bravery," he argued as he lashed his tail in anger. "Why are you really here?"

His Master’s eyes lit in confusion. "I told you, I heard a cry for help," he answered calmly as he sat and curled his tail around his paws as he licked his chomps.

“I'm not calling for help. I'm fine. I'm with Kanan, and some others," he meowed, not wanting to mention Bine.

However, his Master already knew. "You have broken the Jedi Code, Mietro," he murmured darkly.

Halftail narrowed his eyes. "I'm not a Jedi anymore," he corrected as he puffed out his fur to make himself look larger. "And that's not my name anymore."

His Master licked his lips. "I know what you prefer to call yourself, but that's not the name that you were given. However, I'm not here to argue with things that you've decided. You have already set your path."

Halftail snarled in anger. "What do you mean?!"

His Master leaned forward. "Bine."

Halftail's heart leaped in his chest. "What about Bine?" He thought that playing dumb was going to be his best option.

“Don't play dumb with me," growled his Master as he bared his own teeth. "I raised you, Mietro. I know you better than anyone. I know how much Bine means to you, but I don't want love to cloud your judgement."

“It doesn't," assured Halftail as he looked away from his Master. "I promise you it doesn't."

His Master took a step back and shook his head. "May the force be with you."

With that he disappeared and left Halftail alone. Halftail hung his head once more and sighed heavily. He just prayed that for once his Master was wrong.


	7. Mission To Mandalor

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A simple supply mission isn’t quite so simple.

Halftail stalked forward, his ears plastered against his head. He wove around the Mandalorian streets, careful not to draw any unwanted attention to himself. In the Clone Wars this planet had tried to remain neutral. However, now the Empire had complete control. They were trying to collect some supplies and armor that was only manufactured here, but getting it was proving to be difficult. 

“Halftail, have you reached the position yet?"

Halftail growled under his breath as he heard Kanan's voice. "Not yet," he snapped into his communicator. "But I'm going as fast as I can."

He found a break away and surged behind a building, panting heavily. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Molis prowling forward, his whole body like a shadow. For being a rather large Anooba, he certainly had stealth that Halftail had had to practice for years to master. 

He then stalked forward with his underbelly nearly grazing the ground. He was nearly caught by a guard, but he managed to sidestep away, his eyes widening in shock. He ducked aside and saw that the Stormtrooper just passed by. He nodded his head as he saw Bine dart forward and press against him.

Halftail's eyes widened once more. "What are you doing over here? I thought that you were supposed to be on the other side."

“I can't get through," hissed Bine as she gritted her teeth. "It's like a solid fortress. We won't be able to break in."

Halftail swore under his breath. This was certainly going to complicate things. "This place seems fortified too. Molis and I keep almost running in circles around here. We're going to have to climb."

Bine extended her claws. "Molis can distract them while we climb. It's a way up, but it's our nature."

She bunched her muscles and reared on her hind legs. She sunk her claws into the side of the building until she found a strong pawhold. She began to shuffle her way up and Halftail was right behind, just in case she fell. He couldn't bare the thought of her falling to her death.

Once he made it up to the first building Halftail was struggling to breathe. Bine pressed against him. "We have a few more to go," she pointed out as she flicked her paw up to more buildings that he would have to climb.

Halftail wiggled his haunches, but before he could sink his claws into the building, he felt something push into him. He fell backwards and nearly fell off the building, but Bine managed sunk her teeth into Halftail's scruff and pulled him back on the edge of the building.

“Thanks," panted Halftail before he looked in the direction of a wiry brown ocelot with ears plastered against her head and green eyes narrowed to unforgiving slits. 

“Get away from here," snapped the ocelot but Halftail couldn't help but purr. She was half his size but just as feisty. He wasn't concerned.

Halftail stood to his full height with Bine beside him. "Look, kitten, we have important business to attend to."

The ocelot let out a gasp. "Kitten?! That is not my name and the only business you have to attend to is not here," she spat. "This is our hunt!"

Bine looked over and saw a girl who was standing at the edge of the building, ready to jump and surprise the Empire. So there were other rebels that were trying to do the same things that they were. 

“Why don't we work together," suggested Bine as she looked to where the soldiers were lining up. 

The ocelot tilted her head. "Why would we want to do that with the likes of you," she growled as she looked at Halftail's tail.

Halftail swallowed an angry comment. "Because four is always better than two and we want the same thing you do; to bring down the Empire.”

The ocelot thought for a heartbeat before she pawed at the ground, thinking hard. "I'll let you talk to Sabine. She has the final say," the ocelot meowed as she gingerly stalked over to the Mandalorian girl, who was dressed in colored armor. 

“Sabine," whispered the ocelot as she swiped a paw against her leg.

Sabine turned and she took off her helmet as she looked at Bine and Halftail. "Who are they, Sorrel?"

Sorrel turned to look at Halftail and Bine. "They want to steal those supplies too. I think that we could do it better if we have more help."

Sabine thought for a second before nodding and placing her helmet back on. "Alright, but don't get shot. There's no place to bury you here."

“How comforting," muttered Bine as she lowered down, ready to pounce at any heartbeat. Sorrel and Halftail copied her and kept their breath even. Sabine thrust out two blasters before nodding slowly.

The four jumped. Halftail felt the wind rush through his fur and he struggled not to throw up. He landed on one of the troopers, bringing them to the ground under his weight.

They tried to blast at him, but he easily brought them to the ground as well, leaving them. He let out a yowl as more troopers rushed toward him. Molis darted forward, snarling and snapping his jaws madly. With the help of Sabine and Sorrel, they easily took out twice as many Stormtroopers as usual.

“What is going on over there?!"

Halftail ducked as a trooper threw a grenade in his direction. "Well, we could use some help," he muttered as the explosion sounded behind him and he gasped as he lowered down. 

He heard a sigh on the other end. "I'll be right there."

Halftail meowed thankfully before he darted to Sorrel's side and pushed her out of the way as a blast nearly grazed her shoulder. Instead it just ruffled Halftail's fur. Sorrel stood with wild eyes and he pushed her toward the supplies. "Move it out of the way while we distract them!"

Sorrel obeyed to Halftail's relief and darted toward the large crates of supplies with Bine bounding after her. He flicked his ear thankfully before he darted to Molis's side. "We don't have to hang on for much longer. Kanan and Zeb are coming."

Molis dipped his head as he surged forward and sunk his teeth into the armor of the nearest Stormtrooper and pulled. Halftail darted to their side and and knocked his head against the ground, knocking him out. He didn't kill if he didn't have to.

It wasn't long before Halftail noticed that the crates were moved and everyone was focused on them. It also wasn't long before Kanan and Zeb showed up, taking out the Stormtroopers that they couldn't. "Where's the supplies," wondered Kanan as Halftail felt the vibrations of more thundering feet approaching.

Halftail bunched his shoulders and sprang forward. "I'm not sure but Molis and I can follow the scent. Now come on! They're coming," he hissed as he darted forward with Molis at his side. As much as he hated to admit it, he needed Molis's nose to detect Bine and Sorrel's scent.

“Hey, I get some of that," snapped Sabine as she romped over, crossing her arms.

Halftail bit his lip. "Alright. We'll divvy up supplies later, but they are coming, so we have to move," he exclaimed as he surged forward, his paws nearly skipping the ground.

“Who's this," growled Zeb as he narrowed his eyes. 

Halftail couldn't believe how complicated this was becoming. "Not now, now come on," he spat as the fur along his shoulders spiked madly.

To his relief, everyone stopped talking and followed him. Molis followed the scent and once he was sure where the supplies were he pointed down the alleyway. "They're hiding in here."

“This is in the opposite direction of the Ghost," argued Kanan as he swung a hand in the way that they needed to go.

Molis's eyes narrowed. "But in that direction there are Stormtroopers who want to rip off our heads," he pointed out as he looked to Zeb and Halftail as if beginning for their agreement.

Hafltail didn't want to agree with him, but he had no choice. "I agree with Molis. We don't have a choice. I'm going in." He trekked into the dark ally, using his sense of scent and his whiskers to direct him. Once his eyes adjusted he saw Sorrel and Bine cowering in the corner with two large crates pushed to the back of it.

“Halftail," whispered Bine as she took a step forward, her own fur spiking in fear.

Halftail picked up the pace. "I'm here, and so is everyone else," he meowed as he took a step forward and his nose collided with her forehead. He purred before he looked past her to Sorrel. "Are you alright?"

Sorrel looked up, her green eyes blazing in the darkness. "You saved my life. I owe you."

Halftail shook his head as he let out a growl. "Back here!” He knew that Kanan probably had the worst sight right now and, despite what he said, he wasn't a fan of the dark. 

Molis was the first to make it back and he collided with Halftail's haunch. Halftail skidded forward, hissing in annoyance. "Sorry," he apologized as he waited patiently for Zeb. 

Once Kanan arrived with Sabine, Sorrel darted toward her. She leaped into her arms and purred as Sabine stroked her between the ears. "Nice work. We really got them this time!"

“This time," echoed Kanan as he raised an eyebrow. "How often do you do this?"

Sabine shrugged. "We've done it a few times. We used to just steal small things, but we've worked ourselves up to these kind of raids.”

“Where do you live," wondered Bine as Sabine let Sorrel down and Sorrel padded to the older she-cat's side.

Sorrel looked at her paws. "We move around. Anywhere that the Empire isn't," she answered as she lashed her tail against the ground.

That was no life for kids like that. They may be slightly older than most younglings and padawans, but Halftail couldn't imagine a cat of that age alone. He had his Master and, if not, he would have had his mother. Sorrel looked like she needed guidance from someone, probably from Bine.

Kanan sighed as he suddenly slumped against the wall. "What's wrong," inquired Sabine as she stared at him as she threw her helmet aside.

He shook his head. "Hera can't get over here until tomorrow. Her and Chopper are looking at the best way. We're going to have to spend the night."

Sorrel purred in excitement. "It shouldn't be too bad. It's like a sleepover!"

Halftail chuckled as he watched her prance around a bit. Halftail watched her before he noticed something. "You're a little heavyset on your left side. Do you know why?"

Sorrel shuffled her paws. "I injured my paw a while back on my right side. That might be why."

Halftail strode to her side. "You're going to have to learn how to make yourself even again. I did when I lost half of my tail," he explained. 

Sorrel smiled sheepishly. "I'm sorry I made that comment about your tail," she meowed.

Halftail purred good-naturally and touched his nose to her ear. "It's alright. I would have made the same comment if I would have seen a cat like that," he lied as he cuffed her ear. "Now, why don't you go ask Molis to show you some Anooba moves. Now those are cool."

She dipped her head before she darted over to him and danced in front of his front paws. He purred warmly before Bine strode to his side, touching her nose to his ear. "Didn't know that you had that in you."

He chuckled. "Yeah, me either."

She rolled her eyes. "One day you're going to make such a great father!"

Halftail sighed inwardly. "One day."


	8. Nightmares Don’t Come True

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Halftail’s dreams are plagued by visions of what may come to pass.

Halftail blinked open his eyes and realized that he wasn't sleeping beside Kanan, Sorrel, or Bine anymore. He was somewhere where he appeared to be floating, or at least hovering a bit. "Am I in Starbound?"

He heard a slight hissing sound and he turned around. Two cat faced each other in front of him, striking and hissing at one another. He had never seen such violent fighting. Half of the one cat's face was torn while the other cat's ear hung limply, holding on by a thread. Blood coated their pelts, but Halftail managed to see that one was pure black with white markings and the other one was his same shade. He wasn't sure which cat would win. Is there ever a winner with fighting like this, Halftail thought darkly.

As quickly as they appeared, the two cats disappeared. Halftail looked around madly in surprise. Only in Starbound could this happen.

He rose to his paws and stalked forward, wondering what else he might be able to see. He was nervous to find out.

He suddenly heard a shrieking cry. He swiveled on his paws and saw a cat far away from him. He had no idea what he looked like, but he realized that the tom was standing over a she-cat, keening in grief. He turned his muzzle upward and wailed as loudly as possible. He couldn't believe that he was seeing all of this. Was there a point?

As they drifted further away from him he blinked his eyes as he saw Bine standing in front of him. "Bine," breathed Halftail with round eyes. "What are you doing?"

Bine just dipped her head as she began to fade. Halftail took a leap forward but vines curled around his paws and held him back. "Bine, where are you going? Don't leave me!"

Bine disappeared into nothingness around him and terror gripped Halftail heart. "No!"

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Halftail awoke with a jolt, terror pulsing through him. He looked around and sat that Bine was still beside him, her head rested on her paws and her tail curled around her. He saw Sorrel was beside her, her head rested on Bine's spine. Kanan was on his other side, snoring softly. Sabine, Zeb, and Molis were across from them. Everyone was safe, so why did he feel so edgy?

He rose to his paws and padded down the ally. The sun was beginning to shine, but it was still mostly dark and surprisingly cold. His fur kept him warm and he hoped no one else was feeling the chill. 

He sat down at the edge of the ally, sighing heavily. 

“Are you alright?"

He turned his head and saw that Kanan had followed him. "I didn't mean to wake you," he meowed as Kanan sat beside him, shivering a bit.

Kanan shook his head. "I was about to get up anyway. We have to prepare," he assured as he stretched out a hand and scratched Halftail's neck. 

“Prepare," echoed Halftail distantly as his tail twitched.

Kanan frowned. "Are you okay? You seem sort of out of it."

Halftail shook his head to clear it. "I didn't notice," he mumbled as he raised a paw and began to groom his face out of pure habit. 

“Another nightmare," muttered Kanan as he rubbed a hand against his eyes. "I really should have guessed that first."

Halftail hissed with his hackles lifting. “Yeah, and? I have them all the time now. They're just nightmares. They don't mean anything," he argued curtly.

Kanan had another idea. "You know, nightmares can sometimes show you what is to come," he pointed out as the wind blew.

Halftail pushed his paws under his chest and puffed out his fur. "Yeah." He hated the idea that these nightmares might come true. He had no idea what the nightmares meant, but it couldn't be good, he knew that much. "But not mine."

“Was it about Bine?"

Halftail's eyes stretched wide as he looked back over to Kanan. "How did you-"

“I know you better than you think I do. I know you better than you even know yourself," Kanan joked as he looked back into the dark ally. "Besides, I see the way that you look at her."

Shame and embarrassment washed over him. "Do you think that anyone else can tell," Halftail wondered, praying that no one else could. 

Kanan shook his head. "I don't think so, not unless they know you very well," he pointed out as he sighed heavily. "You do know that it's against our code, don't you?"

“This again," muttered Halftail as he curled his lip in anger. "We're not Jedi anymore! The code no longer exists." Anger spilled over as he flicked a paw at Kanan's weapon of choice, a blaster. "We don't even carry our lightsabers anymore. We don’t use the force. We barely meditate. We're not Jedi!"

Halftail realized how loud he had become and he looked away, struggling to suck in a heavy breath. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to say all that. I guess anger has gotten the best of me here."

Kanan smiled in empathy. "It's okay. I'm sorry about what I said about Bine. It's not my place to judge your actions. I'm also glad that you've found happiness."

Halftail wouldn't call it complete happiness. He was still terrorized by the thoughts that something could happen to her. He knew that was what drove the legendary Jedi Master, Anakin Skywalker, to the darkside. He didn't want that to happen to him. "I notice you've taken a liking to Hera."

Kanan waved his hands. "No, no. We're just friends. I can see that you and Bine aren't 'just friends' but Hera and I are," he rambled and Halftail couldn't help but purr.

“Try to defend yourself all you want, you still have feelings for her," murmured Halftail as he stretched out his front paws and groaned as his claws slid from his paws. He had summoned them too many times as of late. When he was younger he hardly used them at all. Now he used them as often as he should use a lightsaber. 

Kanan saw Halftail yawn and his eyes flutter as he tried to keep them open. Kanan patted his leg and Halftail drug himself over before he rested his head on Kanan's leg. "Please don't tell anyone about Bine or I," he begged in a far away tone as his eyes nearly sealed shut. "I don't want the team to know."

Kanan chuckled as he rested a hand on Halftail’s back. "Don't worry. You're secret’s safe with me."

Almost as soon as Halftail drifted off, he was awoken by Sorrel climbing over him. He grunted as he forced his eyes open and saw her lashing her tail. "I caught a puma," she announced with pride in her voice.

“Yeah, a sleeping one," puffed Halftail as he rose to his paws and she slid down his back. "Now try to catch one that's awake!"

Sorrel surged forward, but before she could leap, Kanan came forward and hushed her. "Hera will be here soon, but we need to move to a remote place."

Sorrel twitched her ears. "I know of a place. It's not far from here and there aren't a lot guards past the main road. We should be able to make it," she announced.

Kanan exchanged a worried look with Halftail. He clearly wasn't sure if they should trust Sorrel with their lives. He nodded his head almost reluctantly as he looked to Sorrel. "Okay, Sorrel, lead the way."

As Halftail raised a paw Sorrel darted forward, sniffing the air and twitching her ears as she struggled to detect scents of anyone around. Once it was clear, she flicked her tail over her back. "That's her signal," explained Sabine as she darted forward, light on her feet. 

Kanan and Zeb grabbed the crates while Halftail and Bine brought up the rear, checking for danger around them. Molis patrolled the outskirts and sometimes wove back around, always reporting what he found to Bine which made the fur on Halftail's back stand up on end. Bine would try to settle him, but he would shoot Molis a threatening look. 

After a while of walking, Sorrel stopped dead in her tracks and looked across at a field. "This is where I was thinking," she whispered over her shoulder. "The only threats that are here are frogs and beetles, maybe even the rare tiger but we should be safe."

Kanan nodded thankfully as he contacted Hera to send them the coordinates. Halftail and Molis set up a post and Halftail's ears twitched on his head as he tried to pick up the scent or sound of any moving animal. He pressed his paws against the ground as he felt vibrations pulse through the ground. 

A growl rolled in his throat as he motioned to Molis and Bine to flank him. They strode into the tall grasses that were taller than them while they prowled. They were relying only on their scent and their feelings. Halftail took the lead as the vibrations grew stronger and more rhythmic. 

“Careful," he meowed as he stretched out his tail and swiped it a bit, signaling them to sweep the area around him. They obeyed and Halftail sensed that whatever it was, was coming straight toward him. 

With a snarl the creature leaped forward Halftail. Halftail leaped back before he slashed a paw against the creature's cheek and felt blood splatter against him. Thick fur was caught in his claws and triumph surged through him. 

The creature advanced again and took Halftail by surprise. It pushed him to the ground and Halftail pummeled his hind legs against the creature's underbelly until warm blood oozed onto his flank. He managed to look up and he saw the sharp beak of a bird, but the strong and powerful body of a lion. This was an illegal hybrid.

Suddenly, Bine leaped from the grasses and landed on the creature's back. She pulled with all of her might until she was able to pry it off of Halftail. Halftail shook off the creature's blood before Molis surged forward and sunk his teeth into the creature's throat. The creature squawked in pain and fury lit in it's yellow eyes.

Halftail sunk his teeth into the other side of the creature's neck and found the life giving artery. It didn't take much to nick it and it send the creature sprawling backwards, blood bubbling and pooling from it's neck. The creature dropped to the ground and Halftail watched as the breath slowed and the creature died.

Bine leaped from the spine and looked at the creature up and down. "Female," she murmured as she rested a paw on the creature's stomach. "But not pregnant."

Halftail nuzzled the creature's cheek. "Hybrid. That's illegal, you know," he muttered as he thought of such a waste to a once beautiful and pure animal.

Molis twitched his ears. "This isn't one freak experiment. They're trying to make an army of these things." He pointed toward a building in the distance. "This one must have escaped."

Halftail's ears twitched to match Molis. He was right, for once, the creatures weren't supposed to here. The Empire was using them for their own good instead of leaving them be. 

“Come on," Zeb suddenly called as he motioned over the group. "No one needs to stare at a dead body that long."

Bine and Molis surged over toward him, but Halftail couldn't just leave her like that. He lowered down and pressed his nose against her bloody neck. "I'm so sorry this had to happen to you. May you find rest and peace wherever you may go," he breathed before he turned and after the group.


	9. New Life

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Things are finally getting back to a new normal for the members of the Ghost Crew.

“That was brilliant," exclaimed Sorrel as her whiskers twitched. "You did what would have taken Sabine and I weeks in just two days!"

“It's not that simple," chuckled Hera as she kneeled down and stroked the ocelot between the ears. "But they did do pretty well.”

Kanan and Halftail opened the crate and found food, supplies, weapons, and armor that the Empire was taking from Mandalor and using for their own selfish greed. "Another crate that the Empire doesn't get," laughed Kanan as he stretched out his hands to ruffle the fur on the side of Halftail’s face. 

Bine strode over to Sorrel. "You did pretty good out there. Not bad for a cat that doesn't have the basic grasp of battle training," she praised.

Sorrel ducked her head in embarrassment. "My father died before he could finish teaching me any moves. I sort of just taught myself," she mumbled into her chest fur.

“That's alright," meowed Halftail as he sat down and licked a paw before he drew it over his ears. He couldn't believe how dusty Mandalor could be and how it caked his fur. “I can teach you."

“Really," breathed Sorrel as her eyes widened so that Halftail could only see bright green of her eyes and her dark pupils. "You'd do that?!"

Halftail purred as she bounded over and he touched his nose to Sorrel's ear. "I would," he meowed as he looked over to Kanan as he draped his half tail over her shoulder. "If you and Sabine would join our crew."

Sabine seemed a bit shocked. "And why would we do that?"

“We can help protect you from things you didn't even know were out there, things worse than the Empire," answered Molis as he gave a brief nod to Halftail. To Halftail's surprise, he let him speak.

Sorrel wrinkled her nose. "There can't be anything worse than the Empire."

Bine sat beside Halftail and they were so close that their fur brushed. "Oh, you'd be surprised,” she meowed as she bobbed Sorrel gingerly on the nose with her claws sheathed. "You don't know unless you explore."

“We also can raid the Empire of all their 'precious goods'," grumbled Zeb with a wild look in his eyes.

Kanan and Hera exchanged a glance. "We're rebels, not bandits," Hera argued as she pointed at Zeb. "You'd get a lot more action here, but the rewards aren't bad."

Sorrel looked up at Sabine. "That's what we've been doing," she argued as she pointed at Halftail and Bine. "And they would help teach me things I need to learn. Can't we just give them a chance, please?"

Sabine crossed her arms. "What if we get caught by the Empire?"

Halftail dipped his head. "Same thing if you would have gotten caught. Death, probably," he replied simply. No need to sugarcoat things.

“But we fight together and we wouldn't let anyone kill anyone without a fight," broke in Bine as she stared at Sorrel and Sabine. "It's your choice."

Sorrel seemed hopeful but Halftail could still see Sabine hesitating. "We could use your skill set. I know that you'd be perfect assets, but we can't force you to stay," he pointed out as he looked to Sorrel. "You have to be willing."

Sorrel looked up to Sabine once more and she finally nodded slowly. Sorrel purred as she wove around Sabine's legs before she darted over to Halftail, swiping a sheathed paw against his nose. "Show me how real cats fight," she jabbed as excitement rose in her voice.

“Quietly," teased Bine as she lowered beside Sorrel. "Stop running like a rabbit. Stay in a comfortable position and prepare yourself. If you have to move, you do, but if you don't have to move, you won't."

Sorrel nodded and stayed low to the ground as silently as possible. Halftail lunged and she dodged before she leaped on his back. He felt her weight but she wasn't heavy enough to force him down. He reared on his hind legs and she fell off easily, dazing herself for a heartbeat. Bine helped her to her paws while Halftail lumbered back down. "That was better. Just know when you can take down an enemy and when you can't. You should've taken that time to go for my throat."

Sorrel's thoughts whirled around in her head. "So much to remember! I'll try, Halftail."

Halftail purred thoughtfully. "Good kit. Now why don't you ask Molis to get you some water? You should always stay hydrated while you fight."

Sorrel nodded as she pranced over to Molis. Molis nodded before he lowered down and allowed Sorrel to climb aboard his back. She squeaked in delight as he bucked and tried to throw her off, but Sorrel's muscles were strong beneath her soft and painted fur. 

“She'll settle down, I promise," murmured Sabine as weariness set in.

“I'll get you a room," offered Hera as she looked to Kanan. "Can you steer the Ghost for me?"

Kanan shrugged. "No problem. I just hope you like loops."

“I'll make sure he doesn't do any loops," vowed Zeb as he leaped over the rail and into the hallway.

Kanan followed as he pushed Zeb. "You don't like how I fly?"

“Do you like how I vomit when you fly," Zeb jabbed back.

Halftail rolled his eyes before he turned and looked at Bine. She pressed her head against his chest. "The nightmare last night was about me, wasn't it?"

Halftail jolted a bit. "H-How do you know," he stammered as he shook his head madly.

She took a step back, her eyes lighting in grief. "You were crying out my name in your sleep. I don't want what we have here to be a burden."

Halftail shook his head madly. "You've never a burden," he gasped as he leaned forward and pressed his nose to hers. "And you never will. It's not your fault that I love you and I always will."

Bine’s eyes rounded in concern. "I love you too, but I can't have this hurting you."

“It's not," Halftail lied and when she tilted her head, all he saw was her beauty. He felt the ship rock and he knew that they were probably entering hyperspace. "Come with me."

Bine was a bit surprised by his invite. "Where are we going?"

Halftail didn't answer as he leaped up the ladder with Bine reluctantly following. He opened a bottom of the ship and leaped down in the smaller ship, The Phantom. "What are we doing in the Phantom," inquired Bine once she leaped down beside Halftail, a jolt traveling through her paws.

Halftail let out a purr before he hushed himself and her. He traveled to the front and tapped some buttons. Stars suddenly appeared above them as an old projector struggled to produce the image. Bine's eyes widened in surprise. "What is this," she breathed in awe.

Halftail looked at his paws, sheepishly. "I made this for us since I thought that it would be nice to have some alone time together," he meowed thoughtfully as he dove into a compartment and grasped a blanket and a picnic basket. He spread it and invited Bine to sit with a dip of his head.

“Someone is being a gentlemen," Bine commented as she lowered down, her tail curling around her haunches.

Halftail blushed. "I think that you deserve the very best and I can't always give it to you, but I hope this makes up for it," he mumbled into his chest fur.

“It certainly does," assured Bine before she patted the place beside her. "Now get down here! It's no fun to look up at the stars alone."

Halftail happily obliged as he lowered beside her. They named a few constellations and also some constellations that they thought should exist. They started to name galaxies and planets and other things that seemed important. 

Once they were finished, Halftail grasped some of the rations that they'd stolen. They weren't the best, but they would do. Bine sunk her teeth into meat substitute while Halftail tried some bread. Once they were finished, he saw Bine relax and lay on the blanket on her back. Halftail copied her and held her paw, feeling her strong, yet sleek paw in his own.

After they had looked at the stars a bit longer, Halftail rose to his paws and strode over to the basket. He thrust his muzzle in and brought up an origami flower. Halftail took a step forward and gazed into her eyes, the flower hanging in his mouth. "Bine, I’ve known you for many seasons now. I have enjoyed every moment that we have spent together. I want to spend the rest of my life with you. I love you more than all the stars in the sky. You’ve already invited me to join this crew. Will you walk beside me as my mate?”

Bine's eyes glowed with the stars making her snowy white pelt gleam even more. Her eyes widened a bit as she leaned forward. "I will," she murmured as she touched her nose to his.

He then took a step forward and rested his head on the back of Bine's back, purring affectionately. Bine did the same and both of them just stood for what seemed like an eternity. Bine took the flower in Hafltail's teeth and set it gingerly at her side, purring in his ear. 

“Do you like it," wondered Halftail hopefully.

Bine purred warmly and pressed her nose against his jaw. "It's the most beautiful thing that anyone has ever given me," she breathed. 

Halftail took a step away from Bine and he pressed his head against hers, savoring her beautiful scent. 

“Halftail! Can we do some training now?"

Halftail let out a purr of amusement as he looked upward. "I'm coming, Sorrel! I'll be right up," he called before he looked over to Bine. "I'm sorry."

Bine shook her head. "It's okay," she meowed as she waved her paw. "Sorrel needs training and you're the best one to train her.”

Halftail licked her cheek before he bounded forward and leaped toward the top of the Phantom. He pulled himself up and opened the Phantom with his head and appeared next to Sorrel. She leaped backwards and her whiskers twitched. "Can we do some training?"

Halftail nodded. "Just a little bit. Dart to the lower bay where we'll have more room," he told her and she surged forward, as quick as a rabbit.

Halftail followed and he was painfully aware that Kanan was standing over the rail above him, staring him and Sorrel down. Sorrel didn't seem to notice, nor mind, but Halftail did. 

“Now I want to see your best attack crouch," meowed Halftail as he gave her a firm nod.

Sorrel snaked forward before she lowered down, favoring her side as usual. Halftail made sure that she was even and more balanced before he positioned himself in front of her. "Now, I want to see you launch forward. Ocelots have very powerful hind legs and it's used for jumping. Try your hardest to tackle me by just that one leap."

Sorrel's eyes widened, but she let out a breath. It seemed like forever before Sorrel eventually surged forward. She grasped Halftaill's shoulders and he leaned forward a bit so that she could twist and bring him to the ground. Once they landed, Sorrel leaped backwards in shock. 

“I actually did it," gasped Sorrel as she reared on her hind legs and yowled gleefully. 

Halftail rose to his paws and purred. "Yes, you did. There's a lot more to fighting than that, but if you use what nature gave you against your opponent, then things could really change for you," he explained and Sorrel nodded.

“Do you think that I could be as good of a fighter as you," wondered Sorrel as her ears perked upward hopefully. 

Halftail smiled and curled his half tail around her shoulders. "I do. I think it'll take a lot of practice and determination, but I'm sure that you can do it." She leaped excitedly and he nudged Sorrel's haunch. “Why don't you go and practice in Sabine's room? I need to get some rest."

Sorrel let out a vigorous nod before she darted forward and pressed her head against Halftail's shoulder. "Thank you so much, Halftail!" She then turned and darted up the ladder and past Kanan. Halftail clambered up the ladder, his tail struggling not to bump the wrings. He looked up to Kanan and he sighed heavily. 

“Did you have to be watching us train," grumbled Halftail as he stop beside Kanan's leg. 

Kanan nodded. "I know that you don't want to be reminded of this but you would have made a great Master," Kanan murmured.

Halftail did have a soft spot for those who needed guidance. However, that was a long time ago, a dream that would never come to pass now. It was something that Halftail would need to get past. “I would have loved to have been a Master, but things are different now. Training Sorrel is the closest thing that I will have to being a Master now and training the next generation," murmured Halftail and just the thought of the ocelot made him smile.

Kanan ruffled the fur between Halftail's ear. "Maybe one day."

Halftail smiled a bit and thought of Bine. "Yeah, maybe one day."


	10. Scary Sight

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Even after a successful raid, Halftail’s condition doesn’t take a break.

“Another successful Empire raid," purred Sorrel as she waltzed forward with Molis and Zeb carrying the heavy load behind her. Bine strode from behind Hera, her eye swollen shut from an infection from a scratch. 

Halftail dragged himself from beside Kanan. There was a deep blaster wound in his shoulder that was causing him to limp. 

Bine's eyes widened in terror. "Are you alright," she fretted as she darted forward and began to sniff at Halftail's shoulder. 

Halftail went to answer, but his eyes rolled around in his head and he couldn't focus on anything. He sucked in a heavy breath before Bine turned to look at Kanan. "Kanan!"

Halftail suddenly collapsed, struggling to breathe, his body twitching and convulsing. Kanan darted forward and lowered down beside thrashing Halftail. He pressed a finger against Halftail's throat and felt his pulse. 

He scooped up Halftail without saying anything and darted toward his room. Bine was having trouble forcing herself forward with her eye beginning to throb as stress surged through her. Terror pulsed through her as she struggled to follow Kanan into his room. 

He was about to shut the door but Bine let out a hiss. "I'm his mate," she snapped as her tail lashed. "I'm not about to let you tell me that I can't see him!”

Kanan didn't have time to argue so he grumbled under his breath, "Get in!" Bine darted forward and Kanan slammed the door right behind her, making her jump a bit in surprise.

Kanan thrust Halftail on his bed, pressing his ear against Halftail's chest, checking for a heartbeat or a breath. "Get me his bag," Kanan ordered.

Bine darted over to the corner of the room where Halftail usually stashed it. She began to carry it back, but it wasn't fast enough to Kanan. He pointed a hand toward it and he grasped it with the force. Bine opened her mouth and allowed Kanan to grasp it and pull it toward him. She had never seen Halftail or Kanan use the force on board. She was beginning to doubt that they really were Jedi. 

Kanan tipped the bag upside down and grabbed a syringe. He stuck it into Halftail's vein and injected some of the strange colored liquid into Halftail. He pulled it out and tossed it aside. Halftail began to relax a bit and he finally sucked in a healthy breath. 

“Is he going to be alright," wondered Bine as she struggled to see past Kanan. 

Kanan kneeled down and picked up a bottle of pills. He opened the cap and poured dozens of pills on the ground. Kanan looked at them for a while before he shook his head madly. "He hasn't been taking them!" He then swore under his breath, saying a word that Bine would never dream of saying.

“Taking what," pressed Bine, but Kanan wasn't listening.

He picked up a few pills and crushed them into his hand. He held them up to Halftail's muzzle. Halftail turned away sharply, but Kanan wasn't about to allow that to happen. He forced Halftail's mouth open before he thrust the crushed pills into his mouth. Kanan massaged Halftail's throat until he finally swallowed them.

“What is wrong with him," growled Bine as she swiped at Kanan's leg. She hadn't known what was wrong with her mate besides that he was sick when he was younger and took medication and herbs now for it. However, she hadn't noticed that he hadn't been taking them.

Kanan wasn't listening and he rummaged back through Halftail's bag. "Come on, Halftail. Do I have to do everything?!”

He took another needle from the bag and flicked the tip to make sure liquid came out. He lifted up the fur around Halftail's scruff and injected it in before rubbing it harshly. “You really need to take care of yourself, buddy. I'm not letting you leave like this, I promise."

Just the thought of him leaving made Bine's heart leap in her chest. She couldn't imagine something happening to Halftail and him leaving her behind. 

Once Kanan was sure that Halftail was awake and that he was steady, he sat back on the ground, running his fingers through his hair. Bine wasn't about to let him off the hook this time. "What's wrong with him," growled Bine as she leaped in front of Kanan with her tail lashing.

Kanan waved a hand dismissively. He wasn't about to admit this to Bine, but Halftail had really scared him. He hadn't had a reaction that severe in a long time. "Halftail didn't tell you?"

Bine shook her head vigorously. "N-No. I knew that something was wrong with him, but he never spoke about it that much and I didn't press."

Kanan wanted to yell at both of them, but right bow wasn't the time. "You must have known that he took medication. Do you know when he might have stopped?"

Bine thought hard. She usually saw Halftail take his pills at breakfast. When did he stop taking his pills, a week, maybe two? "Maybe a week or two," she answered, wondering how bad that was.

Kanan hung his head. "That would certainly explain some things. He shouldn't, or can't, go more than a week without this." He looked over to Halftail. "What are you doing to yourself, Halftail?"

Bine's eyes rounded. "I'm sorry. I should have said something when I noticed. I probably could have stopped this," she rambled, thinking about what she could have done.

Kanan shook his head. "Halftail knows how deadly this can be if not treated. However, he's always disliked the idea of this consuming him."

Bine looked over to her mate, who was sleeping with a now steady breath. "I-Is he going to die," wondered Bine, although it pained her to ask it.

Kanan frowned as he looked over to Halftail too. "I don't know. If he keeps up with this streak of not taking his medication it's a real possibilities."

Bine couldn't bear to hear that. She looked over to Kanan, her fur spiking in alarm. “Could you give us a heartbeat, please," begged Bine as she tilted her head.

Kanan didn't like the idea of being kicked out of his own room, but he knew that this was important, so he nodded. He rose to his feet and strode from the room. Bine then bounded over to the bed and leaped beside Halftail. She was a whisker-length away since she was afraid to draw too close to him. She didn't want to cause him any more pain than he was already in.

“Halftail, can you hear me," murmured Bine as she laid the rest of the way down. 

She saw his tail curl a bit and she brightened. She curled her own tail to graze his stub of one. He didn't react, but she knew that he could hear her, even if he couldn't speak. 

“You do this to yourself, Halftail," muttered Bine, but affection was laced in her voice. She was angry, and yet also concerned. "You scared me today. Although, I think you may have scared Kanan more.”

She saw Halftail's chest lift in a sigh. She knew that he understood that. He might not want to do anything about it, but he understood. He was just as stubborn as Kanan could be, and that was saying a lot.

“I can't have you doing this again." She chuckled a bit to herself as she looked down at her cloudy paws. "Not if our dreams are going to come true."

Halftail tilted his muzzle a bit and opened his mouth, his tongue lolling from side to side while struggling to speak. "Dreams," he mumbled and when Bine looked at him she saw how sickly he now looked. He looked like he had been through a battle that couldn't be won.

Bine forced a purr as well as a dip of her head. "Yes, Dreams. Do you remember the dreams that we talked about having," she inquired.

Halftail lashed his tail weakly. “Of course I remember!"

“Well I wasn't sure," reported Bine as she tapped a paw against his head. "I thought that you went fishbrained since you haven't been taking your meds!"

Halftail looked like he had been raked across the muzzle. He managed to force his tongue back in his mouth and talk a bit more. "You don't understand, Bine. I don't want to be dependent on medication."

Bine licked Halftail's cheek affectionately. "I know that you don't. But you have to and there's nothing that we can do about it. I love you, but you have to promise me that you won't do that again, for our sake."

“Our sake," echoed Halftail as he blinked his eyes in confusion.

Bine grasped Halftail's paw before she pressed it against her underbelly. "Because I'm afraid we're going to be outnumbered soon," she purred in amusement.

Halftail's eyes widened in shock. "You mean-"

“I'm expecting kits," confessed Bine as her eyes glowed.

Halftail purred warmly and it made his whole body shake with excitement. "This is going to be amazing! I'm going to be a father," he gasped as his whole body seemed to strengthen.

Bine nodded before she touched her nose to his. "I think that I'll leave you to get some rest. I'll see you tomorrow. Take care of yourself. It's not just you anymore," she breathed in his ear before she leaped from the bed and strode toward the door. She opened the door and Sorrel fell forward, nearly smacking her muzzle against the ground.

“H-Hi Bine," stammered Sorrel as she smiled sheepishly up at the snow leopard. 

Bine stifled a sigh and sunk her teeth into Sorrel's scruff, hauling her backwards. The door closed and Bine set Sorrel back on her paws. "What were you doing," puffed Bine as she lashed her tail.

Sorrel looked at her paws. "I'm sorry. I was just worried about Halftail. I knew that he came here, but I couldn't get in. I wanted to make sure that he was okay."

Bine rolled her eyes before she nudged Sorrel away from the door so that Halftail could sleep. "He'll be alright," assured Bine. "As long as he takes care of himself."

“Is this because we've been training so hard," fretted Sorrel as her eyes widened.

Bine shook her head vigorously. "It has nothing to do with that. You keep doing everything that you've been doing with him," meowed Bine as she pointed her tail toward her room. "Now get some rest. If Halftail isn't feeling better tomorrow I'll train with you."

Sorrel nodded and took a few steps before she turned and looked over her shoulder. "Are you really expecting kits?"

Bine narrowed her eyes and let out a growl. "Yes, now don't tell anyone!"

Sorrel dipped her head and bounded toward her room. She rolled her eyes as she sat down and looked at her underbelly before she groomed it roughly. "I hope that you are excited to meet your father and me. I know that we are. I just hope that everything goes well."


	11. It Can’t Be

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Halftail’s worst fears come true.

Bine strode from a small building on Naboo, her head bowed in defeat. Halftail darted over to her with bright eyes wide in concern. "What are you doing in there? Kanan said he saw you leave, but he wasn't sure why."

“Come with me," meowed Bine as she whisked her tail under his jaw. Halftail bounded forward and brushed against Bine's flank. Bine wanted to push him away, but she couldn't bring herself to try.

They walked all the way to a beach as the sun scorched the sand and warmed Bine's pelt. They strode to the water's edge where Bine laid down as exhaustion pulsed through her. 

“Are you okay," inquired Halftail as he eyed Bine's swollen underbelly. He saw her face fall and worry clawed at his underbelly. "What's wrong?"

Bine bit her tongue as she lifted her gaze to meet Halftail’s. Her eyes were bright in grief as she tried to speak. “I’m sick, Halftail. There’s something wrong with my blood and they’re not quite sure what. All they know is that I don’t have long, maybe a few weeks.”

Tears began to well in Halftail's eyes. His throat felt suddenly dry and he couldn't speak. 

Slowly, Halftail collapsed. He fell into the water, the tide lapping at his fur and clogging it with sand. The cold sliced into his skin and Halftail couldn’t stand the feel of water. However, he was too numb to feel it. 

He looked away from Bine so that she couldn't see the grief that was now consuming him. Once he could finally speak, he turned back to Bine and saw that she was rather calm. She wanted him not to be sad and grieve, but that wasn't going to happen.

“Was that what you were doing in there? Did you seek medication attention," inquired Halftail as he struggled to keep his composure as he spoke. 

Bine nodded slowly. "Yes. I thought that I'd have him check out the kits, but he ran a check on me too. I'm so sorry, Halftail," she apologized.

Halftail shook his head madly. "I should be apologizing to you! I'm not going to lose you," he rasped as more tears showed in the corners of his eyes.

Bine hung her head a bit before she grasped Halftail's paw with her own and pressed it against her stomach. "You may lose me, but you'll have them."

Halftail would rather have Bine than the kits! “Did they say why this happened," he pressed. “What’s wrong with your blood?

Bine looked away, not wanting to speak about this anymore. "N-Nothing," she stammered into her thick chest fur, hoping that Halftail would let it go yet knowing that he wouldn't. 

Halftail's heart skipped a beat as he realized why she wouldn't tell him. "It's about me, isn't he?" He leaned forward and he looked into her eyes. He gasped as he leaped back. "You have what I have. I gave it to you!"

Bine sook her head madly. "It's not your fault," she argued. "We should have known."

“This is all my fault," cried out Halftail as he went cold. "Can you just take what I do?"

Bine shook her head again. "I asked that. Once it's passed on, it's a death sentence. It's okay, Halftail. I'm okay with it," she assured with tears shinning in her eyes.

Halftail couldn't believe this. He took a step forward and he pressed his nose against her shoulder, allowing his tears to wet Bine's shoulder. Bine cried as well and they stood there for a while, lost in each other’s presence. 

Once they were finished, Halftail intertwined his tail with hers. They walked away from the beach in complete silence. Halftail knew that he didn't have long with her, but he was going to make the most the time that he had left.

“There you are," exclaimed Molis as he darted forward with his tail wagging. "I wanted to tell you how well Sorrel is doing! She's picking up Anooba battle moves better than I did!"

Halftail was growing to enjoy the company of the Anooba, despite the fact that sometimes got a bit too friendly with Bine. "Thanks for training her for the day, Molis," he meowed thankfully.

Molis dipped his head. "No problem. Did everything go alright with the doctor?"

Just at the mention of it, tears started to flow from Halftail's eyes. He lifted a paw to wipe them away, but Molis saw them. He seemed to understand that something was wrong, but he didn't want to press. 

“Where's Sorrel," wondered Bine as she tried to steer the conversation away from her and Halftail.

Molis flicked his ears. "She’s with Sabine and Zeb at the beach. She's never seen a beach before," answered Molis as he bristled his fur. "I don't know why she enjoys the water so much, but she seems to like it."

Halftail cleared his throat. "Could you round them up and bring them back to the Ghost. There's something that we're going to need to discuss once everyone is all together."

Molis dipped his head. "Sure, no problem. I'll be right back." He darted forward and Halftail looked over to Bine, licking her between the ears.

“We need to tell the crew. They deserve to know," he sniffed as a sob welled in his throat. He wanted to cry out in agony, yet he knew that he had to stay strong, for Bine's sake.

They strode over to the Ghost and Halftail saw Kanan and Hera sitting on the hanger door of the Ghost, speaking quietly. Halftail was sure that something was going on between them, but he wasn't about to get into that. For now he didn't care.

“You two are back early. Didn't you want to see the beach," inquired Kanan as he pointed into the direction of the beach. 

Halftail shook his head as he looked up to Kanan. "We were there, but we really need to speak to everyone. It's really important," he murmured.

Kanan and Hera exchanged a glance before they nodded and rose to their feet. Halftail nudged Bine gingerly up the ramp since the walk from the beach really exhausted here. Chopper rolled forward and began beeping at Halftail.

Halftail hissed in rage and his fur bristled. "Not now, Chopper! I'm not in the mood," he snarled and to his surprise, Chopper seemed crestfallen and drew back.

They strode to the back of the cargo bay and Bine lowered down. She panted madly and Halftail began to lap at her face to cool her down. She battered him away playfully as she started to groom her own thick, cloudy fur. She stared at her underbelly and Halftail imagined small kits in her underbelly, kits that may never be able to play with their mother like he would.

Halftail heard a growl and turned to see Zeb lumbering forward, his whole body soaked. Sorrel followed, her fur so drenched that it pressed against her sides desperately. She looked like a drowned mouse! Sabine was last, her hair wet and dripping down her back.

“What's the deal," grumbled Zeb as he turned toward Halftail. "We were just starting to have fun."

Molis darted forward and kinked his tail over his back. "That's not what I saw. You were under water," he scoffed as he darted forward and stopped as he met eyes with Bine.

Sorrel sprang forward and knocked into Molis. "You should have seen! I knocked Zeb into the waves," she boasted as her puny chest puffed out in pride.

Sabine rolled her eyes. "I pushed Zeb! You were just there at the right time to take the credit," she argued as she squeezed some of the water from her hair. 

Sorrel shook her head before looking at Halftail. "So, why did you want to see us?"

Halftail waved his paw as he sat. "Gather around. There is something very important that we need to discuss, right now," he meowed.

Kanan and Hera sat beside Halftail and Bine. Sorrel clustered around Molis, who nudged her away harshly since she was so wet. She hissed before she ventured over to Sabine, who stroked her between the ears while Sorrel purred back. Zeb sat next to Molis with Chopper at their other side. Even he was quiet. He could sense something was very wrong.

“As you may, or may not know, Bine went to the doctor today, to see if everything was alright with the kits," Halftail explained in a louder voice than he intended.

“Wait," interrupted Sorrel as she wrinkled her nose. "I thought that you were a doctor."

Halftail drew back a bit. "I'm not a healer. I’ve spend enough time with a healer to pick up some things,” he argued as he shook his head. "A doctor can do more things than me. I treat our injuries and illnesses to the best of my ability. They deal with more special cases."

Sorrel gave a nod before she sat back on her haunches. "When, and if you ever have kits, you'll understand," barked Molis as he lowered down, not caring how wet Zeb was beside him.

Halftail gave him a thankful nod, wondering why all of a sudden he was being so kind to him. It was probably because of Bine. "Anyway they told us some news."

He looked back to Bine, thinking that it was best if she explained it. With a grunt of effort, she forced herself to her paws and looked around to everyone, her eyes resting on Halftail and Hera. "He said that I'm sick and I've only got weeks."

Hera brought a hand up to her mouth while everyone else seemed to gasp. Bine looked over to Sorrel, who looked like she might cry at any heartbeat. Molis's ears were plastered against his head while his body shook in grief. Even Zeb and Chopper looked upset. Kanan's eyes were fixed on Halftail in a sympathetic way. Halftail's head was bowed as tears slid from his eyes and caught on his long whiskers. 

“What do you have," Sorrel dared to ask and Sabine quickly hushed her with a kick to her ribs.

Bine waved her tail. "No, it's okay," she assured as she looked toward Sabine before he eyes rested on Sorrel. "I have something wrong with my blood that-“

“It’s my fault,” interrupted Halftail before Bine could continue. “I’m the reason that she’s sick. I didn’t know that I could make her sick. I wasn’t thinking.” His tail drooped as his head hung.”

“But he has medication. Can't you just take it," pointed out Sorrel as she stood and shook in anger and grief. Sabine tried to calm her, but that just made her more angry.

“It's not that simple, I'm afraid," confessed Bine as she strode toward Sorrel.

Sorrel, however, took a step back away from Bine. "You can't die. I can't lose you like I lost my mother. Please no!"

Bine's eyes softened. "I'm sorry Sorrel. I-"

Before she could finish, Sorrel stood on her toes with her wet fur trying to bristle. "No, no," she cried out before she turned and darted up the ladder and into the hallway.

“Sorrel," called Sabine as she rose to her feet. "I'll make sure she's okay." The mandalorian darted forward and climbed the steps with ease. "Sorrel? Sorrel!"

Bine hung her head before Halftail darted to her side and steered her away from them and back toward Hera and Kanan. Bine looked up to Hera. "I'm sorry," she rasped with tears making her eyes shine.

Halftail curled his tail over her shoulders. "It's not your fault. It's mine.”

“Will you be able to have your kits," wondered Molis as he took a step forward, his eyes traveling directly to her stomach where life was forming and growing.

Bine tensed her shoulders and forced herself to stand proud. "I will have these kits no matter what," she decided, determination sounding in her mew.

Halftail shook his head. "I'd rather have you than these kits," he told her before Kanan rested a hand on Halftail's back. Halftail wasn't calmed by this. It just riled him up. "I can't lose you!"

Bine purred in affection. "Oh, Halftail. I love you so much." She rubbed her tail across her stomach. "And you're going to love these kits. You just have to promise me that you'll take care of them when I'm gone, okay?"

Halftail couldn't believe this was happening. He had promised to take care of her and now he was the reason she was dying. They had been through so many battles and this was what was taking her down. His Master had warned him, but he had ignored him since he was blinded by his love for Bine. He should have never fell in love with her!

“Okay," Bine repeated with a pleading in her eyes.

Halftail spoke in a raspy voice as he touched his nose to Bine's. "Okay."


	12. Dreams Instead of Nightmares

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The road to being a father isn’t one Halftail thought he would walk alone.

Halftail sat on the edge of his and Kanan's bed, his paw hanging over. He imagined that he was over a stream and there were fish swimming under him. He had gone fishing with his Master numerous times. It had been his favorite recreational activity. He had said that it taught him speed, agility, strategy, and patience all in one. Halftail had never been a great fisher, but whatever he caught he got to eat and most of the time it was the only thing that he was allowed to eat. If he didn't catch anything, he didn't eat.

“Hey, you okay?"

Halftail lifted his head as he saw Kanan walking in hesitantly.

Halftail curled his lip as his claws jutted out of his paw. "What do you think," he reported.

Kanan lifted his hands in a surrendering motion and strode over to him before he sat down on the floor, his back to the bed.. "No, I think that you're grieving her before she’s even gone."

Halftail bit his tongue at the mention of Bine. He looked away so that he wouldn't cry. He had cried too many times and he wasn't about to let Kanan think that he was soft. "She's dying, Kanan, and it's all my fault," he managed to croak out. When he spoke it felt like needles stabbing him in the throat and another sob seemed to rise in him, but he had to suppress it. 

Kanan sighed heavily. "Your grief is making you think this, but it's not all your fault. You and Bine should have made sure having kits was alright."

Halftail lashed his tail and snarled. "I don't need you to tell me what I should have done! It's in the past and I can't change it," he roared as his haunches lifted.

Kanan was a bit surprised to see this rage out of Halftaill. "I know you can't change it, but you can make the most of it now."

Halftail lifted his head, knowing that Kanan could see the pain in his eyes. "I can't be a father, Kanan. Not without Bine," he confessed.

Kanan smiled timidly. "I know that you're going to be a great father. Besides, you have all of us to help. You won't be alone," assured Kanan as he tried to look into Halftail's eyes. Once he did, he shook his head. "But you can't give up on yourself. That's all I'm going to say."

Halftail leaped from his bed and turned to look over his shoulder at a dusty bag. He allowed a growl to roll in his throat before he strode toward the bag. He opened the bag and grasped a pill bottle with his paw before he twisted the cap and opened it. He took out two small pills and popped them into his mouth, struggling to swallow them dry.

Once he swallowed, he turned and stomped toward the door. He looked over his shoulder once more and saw Kanan smiling at him. He rolled his eyes before he started forward and strode into the hallway. He bounded toward Hera's room and opened the room quietly. 

He spied Bine laying curled on the floor with her tail tucked over her nose. "Bine. Pst, Bine!"

Bine lifted her head and her eyes hazed over a bit. "Halftail? What are you doing here," she whispered as she rose to her paws and tilted her head.

Halftail looked at his paws sheepishly. "Come out here. I'll talk to you out here where there's not a possibility of us waking up Hera," he hissed.

Bine nodded and padded forward, her ears plastered against her sides. She came outside and when the door closed she looked over to Halftail. "What are you doing here at this time of night? Chopper's flying the ship."

Halftail shuffled his paws. "I know. I just wanted to see you."

Bine seemed a bit surprised. "Me? Well, why me," she wondered in a soft and light tone that just made Halftail want to purr as loud as he could.

Halftail took a step forward and licked her cheek. "We only have a certainly amount of time together. I don't want that to be spend apart," he answered.

Bine looked at him thoughtfully as she touched her nose to his ear. "I love you so much and I know it's going to be hard for you when I'm gone, but I'm hoping our legacy lives on in our kits."

Halftail could imagine tussling and running around with his kits. However, at the thought that Bine wouldn't be with him the image turned more distorted and lifeless. It wouldn't be worth having kits if Bine wouldn't be there to watch over them with him. How would he tell them that the death of their mother had been his fault? 

“Have you thought of names," he murmured as he rested his stubby tail across her underbelly and swore he felt the kick or jab of a young kit's paw. 

Bine tilted her head. "I want to name one after you."

Halftail's eyes widened. "Me? I'm not sure about that," he mumbled as he looked away. He didn't deserve to have a kit named after him after all that had happened and what he had done.

Bine nodded slowly. "It would mean a lot to me."

Halftail couldn't say no to that. If that's what Bine wanted, then he would allow it. "Okay, but you still have some time to think about it and reconsider."

Bine rolled her eyes as she rose to her paws and brushed her head against Halftail's shoulder. "Why don't we get some rest? Maybe we can find a place for both of us to sleep."

Halftail nodded and allowed her to slump a bit against his shoulder. He led her down the ladder before they strode to the back of the cargo bay. It was dark and cool. Halftail was sure that Bine would like it. 

He found a small blanket and placed it on the ground before he nudged Bine toward it. Bine lowered down and Halftail tucked himself aroud her to make sure that she was warm and comfortable. "Do you ever regret falling in love with me," wondered Halftail in her ear.

Bine shook her head slowly. "Never! I love you so much and I wouldn't trade our time together for anything," she murmured. 

Halftail wasn't sure about that, but he decided to not push too much. Bine was tired and he never knew when he was needed on a mission. "Im sorry, Bine."

When he spoke Bine was already asleep. He rested his head next to hers and drifted off. 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

“I warned you! I told you."

Halftail lifted his head and realized that his Master was standing in front of him, his tail lashing.

Halftail let out a growl. "You didn't tell me that this is what would happen," snapped Halfail as he lowered his head into his shoulders.

Master Brist's eyes widened. "What did you think was going to happen," wondered Brist as his tail kinked over his back. "I warned you that Starbound would not approve."

Halftail couldn't be angry at him because his Master had tried to warn him. He hadn't listened and he wasn't sure if he should have or not.

“I am sorry for what's going to happen," breathed Brist as he tilted his head. "I did not know that that was going to happen."

Halftail sighed heavily. "I know that you would have told me if you knew. I just wish that I could have known. This is all my fault."

A growl rolled in Brist's throat and it actually surprised Halftail. "Don't blame yourself. You should have been told when you were first diagnosed."

Halftail shuffled his paws a bit before he began to pace. "And now I'm going to be a father and raise my kits alone. How am I going to manage that?"

Brist took a step forward and angled his ears forward. "Do you think that I knew how to be a Master, or a father?" He gave his head a firm shake. "Of course not! However, I learned. I learned for you."

Halftail looked away from his Master. "Yes, but that's you. I don't think I could ever live up to the example that you set for me," he argued.

Brist narrowed his eyes before he cuffed Halftail's ear and Halftail stumbled backwards. "If you act like that then you won't make a good father. You mated with her and you were willing to be a father with her, but not without her."

“Exactly," exclaimed Halftail as he bared his teeth a bit. "I can't raise kits alone."

Brist tipped his head. "And that's why you have your crew." He strode around Halftail and eyed him with determination. "They will help you, but you need to make sure that they never forget Bine and you let her legacy live on. You are their father and you need to step up."

Hafltail sucked in a pained breath. "What if I'm not the father that I should be?”

Brist stopped and thrust his muzzle and inch from Halftail's. "Then at least be the father that they deserve."

Halftail tensed his shoulders and nodded before he touched his nose to Brist's and purred. Brist purred back and sighed heavily. "I know you'll be a great father, even if you don't."

Halftail was about to speak, but before he could, Brist disappeared and left him in a seeming pool of light. He closed his eyes and allowed the tug of his fur to bring him back into his nest beside Bine.


	13. Kits!

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The moment has come for Halftail’s kits to join the universe.

Halftail awoke one morning to Bine hissing and growling in pain. He blinked his eyes as he turned to her. Her eyes were stretched in pain and her breath raspy. 

“What's wrong," he fretted as he began to sniff around her.

She pushed him backward, hissing at him. "Get away," she spat as the fur along her spine began to bristle. "The kits are coming!"

Halftail's heart thundered in his chest and he struggled to keep himself still. "N-Now," he stammered as surprise seemed to scream inside of him. 

Bine hissed in pain and nodded, her hind legs sprawling out limply behind her. She narrowed her eyes to slits and battered him away. "I can do this, but not with you watching me like this," she hissed tersely and Halftail wondered why she was so angry at him. He knew that she-cats could be a bit tense when the kits came and knew that males didn't hang around when the kits were born. 

“O-Okay. I won't be far," he assured as he clambered backwards, looking over his shoulder once more at Bine. Once he did, he realized she had this and he was going to have to do what he could for the kits.

He surged forward and climbed the rungs of the ladder and leaped into the hallway, finding Zeb and Molis in the kitchen. "What's up," inquired Molis. "Your fur is standing on end."

Halftail realized that it was and he tried to force it to lay flat. "Bine is having the kits," he explained and he saw Molis's eyes widened. "They can't have her milk. We need to find some."

“We have milk," pointed out Sorrel as she pointed at the fridge. 

Halftail shook his head. "It's special. It's just for newborns. Do you think that you could get some for me," he pleaded as he looked up to Sabine and Kanan as they walked in.

Kanan nodded. "We're still at Lothal, so we should be able to find some," he told Halftail.

Halftail gave him a solid nod of thankfulness. "Thank you."

Kanan turned to Zeb, Sabine, Sorrel, and Molis. "Come on. Let's give them some space and find some milk," he told them before he hit Zeb on the shoulder.

“Now that's the strangest thing I've ever stolen," muttered Sabine as Sorrel pranced after her. Molis smiled at Halftail, but Halftail looked away. Now was not the time to be cheered up. Zeb abandoned his meal and followed Kanan and the rest of the group. Once they left, Halftail twitched his ears as he heard Hera.

“May I see Bine," Hera asked hopefully. Halftail had to keep reminding himself that Hera was Bine's closest friend beside Halftail. 

Halftail dipped his head to her. "Yes. I'll show you where she is. Be careful, though, she's in a lot of pain," he meowed as he kinked his tail over his back. 

He showed Hera to where Bine was curled in the back of the cargo bay. Her fur was clumped in sweat and her eyes were strained wide. Halftail went to take a step forward, but Hera nudged him back with her foot. "Maybe you should give her a bit of space,” she offered. 

Halftail looked at his paws and nodded as he took a step back, wanting to argue but knowing that he shouldn't. "Okay. Call me if you need anything," he rasped as he bit his tongue. 

He watched Hera lower down and creep toward Bine. He watched them talk for a while before he took a step back. He watched them talk for a while before he settled down and rested his head on his paws. He longed to be able to hear what they were talking about, but he wasn't about to go any closer to Bine when she was in labor.

He suddenly heard Bine let out a wail of agony and Halftail darted to his paws. He whimpered, wanting to surge forward as he struggled to keep his composure.

Hera looked backwards and motioned to Halftail. Halftail's eyes widened in surprise as he forced his paws to lead him forward.. She looked so weak and Halftail realized that he shouldn't have left her. 

“Bine," whispered Halftail as he nuzzled her cheek.

Hera rested a hand on her friend's underbelly. "You need to start to push, Bine."

Bine opened her eyes and let out a deep breath. "I didn't think it was going to be this painful. I'd take any battle wound over this," she growled as she curled her claws into her paws. 

Halftail licked her cheek and Bine purred. "I'm here to help in any way that I can. We can do this," he assured as he allowed Bine to sink her claws into Halftail's paw.

Bine suddenly arched her back and wailed as a contraction rippled through her body. Halftail watched as Bine turned her head and whimpered as a small and wet bundle fell onto the blanket beside her. Halftail bounded forward and nipped the kit's sac and the kit let out a wail. Halftail was a bit surprised by it's power. 

He began to lap at the kit and he let out another wail. He couldn't believe the power that he felt in the kit who had just been brought into the universe. He hoped that the other kits would be as strong as him. He looked over to Hera hopefully and Hera nodded. Halftail dropped the kit into Hera's hand and she pressed the kit against her chest. 

Bine let out another cry and she gritted her teeth as agony pulsed through her whole body as another kit slithered onto the blanket. This one was a smaller one and didn't thrash like the other one. Halftail nipped her sac but she barely cried. "Come on, can't you do it louder," he urged with bright eyes.

Hera stretched out a hand. "Give it to me. I think there's one more."

Halftail shook his head to clear it before he sunk his teeth into the kit's scruff and he passed it over to Hera. Hera took it gingerly and Halftail saw Bine try and give up.

“Don't give up on me or the kits," snapped Halftail as he looked into his mate's strained eyes. "They need you to be strong right now."

Bine sucked into a breath and wailed as she pushed. One more kit fell where the rest did and Halftail lowered down. This one was even smaller than the second kit. When he nipped his sac, he didn't even cry. He just let out a cough and stuck out it's tongue. Halftail touched his nose to the kit's wet cheek. 

He then began to lap at it to try and wake it up some more. However, the kit just seemed to grow weaker and quieter. "Please, stay with me," begged Halftail as tears glowed in his eyes. He couldn't lose his kits as well as Bine.

“Let me see them," begged Bine with bright eyes. "Please, Halftail."

Halftail shook his head to clear it as he picked up his tiny son and set it near Bine. He did the same with the other two as he took them from Hera. Bine cuddled them near and purred as her whiskers touched each one in turn. 

“Let's name them," meowed Bine as she looked up at Halftail, not seeing the grief and tears in his eyes.

Halftail looked to the strongest tom. He was pure black with white splotches just like his mother. "You should name the firstborn," he told his mate as he forced a purr. 

Bine's eyes glowed. "I want to name it after you."

Halftail hated that idea, but he was honored. "I don't think that Halftail Jr is a great name for a kit," he joked as he licked his son between the ears. 

Bine purred as she licked her son's cheek. "How about we take the last part of your name. The tail part," she suggested as she looked at his long tail. "How about Swifttail?"

“Swifttail," murmured Halftail as his eyes brimmed with hope. "I love it." He licked his mate's cheek before he licked his son between the ears once more. “Swifttail is a wonderful name!"

Bine then looked to her daughter who was struggling to breathe. Halftail was tempted to tell Bine that she wouldn't make it and not to bother to name her, but Bine was determinate to name all of their kits. "How about Sweetsong?"

Halftail purred as he thought about the beautiful pale brown she-cat with white splotches. It was truly like a puma and a snow leopard had kits together and that's what it should look like. "Sweetsong is a wonderful name. However, you do know that she won't make it."

Bine let out a growl as her eyes narrowed. "Every kit deserves a name! No matter if they die soon or not," snapped Bine as she looked to Sweetsong. "Even if she doesn't make it she will look down on you from Starbound."

Halftail nodded before he looked over to the smallest tom. He was his color with black paws and light brown fur. He was barely breathing now. "Can I name him?" When Bine nodded he thought for a heartbeat. "Wildspirit." 

Bine looked up, seeing that Halftail had gotten her message. "I love it. We have the best kits in the galaxy," she exclaimed as she pushed her head against the kits.

Bine was about to nudge the kits toward her underbelly, but Halftail blocked her. "They can't nurse. Your milk may be contaminated."

Bine's face fell before she forced a nod. "You're right. I'm sorry," she rasped as she turned her head a bit, a strange sensation rippling through her. Her eyes twitched from side to side and she held her breath. 

“Bine," gasped Halftail as his blood went cold as he saw her convulsing. She was having a seizure!

Halftail quickly drew the kits away from their mother as he gazed at her with wide eyes. "What's happening," asked Hera. Halftail had forgotten that she was even there.

Halftail's mew was caught in his throat. "She's having a seizure," he answered as he heard Swifttail mewing under him. 

“Is there anything we can do," inquired Hera as her eyes widened like Halftail's.

Halftail passed the kits to her before he pushed toward his mate. "Bine? Bine, it's me, Halftail. Please come back to me and the kits. I love you!"

Bine suddenly convulsed and then went still. Her eyes rolled back in her head and her chest no longer rose and fell. "Bine," he wailed and the wail shook the Ghost. "No!" He crumpled to the ground, pushing a paw against the ground.

Hera stretched out a hand. "Halftail, I'm so sorry."

Anger bubbled inside Halftail and he picked up all three of his kits harshly. "I want to be alone with my kits," he snapped as he strode toward the corner of the ship and tucked them into his underbelly. They kneaded him for milk, but he had none. "I'll protect all of you, I promise."

He tucked his head against them and fell into a deep sleep.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"Halftail. Halftail wake up."

Halftail opened his eyes and uncurled himself a bit as he looked into Molis's eyes.

“I heard what you named the kits. They were fantastic names,” he murmured with a grim look on his face.

Halftail gave a nod before he looked at his kits. Sweetsong and Wildspirit fell from his underbelly and he tried to nudge them back. Molis stretched out a paw to stop him. "What are you doing," rasped Halftail.

Molis hung his head. "I'm sorry, Halftail, they're dead."

The whole world seemed to stop again as Halftail looked at his son and daughter. "No," he cried as his body shook in grief and rage.

Halftail rose to shaky paws and strode out of where he was hiding. The whole crew was waiting for him and Sabine was the first one to meet him. "I'm so sorry about your family."

Halftail passed her and bumped into Sorrel. "Not the kits too," she cried.

“Where's Bine," Halftail managed to growl. 

Zeb stepped aside and pointed out of the Ghost. Bine was laying, curled up to make her look like she was sleeping. Halftail blindly stumbled forward and stopped at Bine. He touched his nose to hers. "You can wake up at any time. Come on, don't you want to train Sorrel with me?"

“He's gone crazy," muttered Zeb under his voice.

Hera elbowed him harshly. "Hush! He's grieving."

Halftail barely heard him over the sound of his own heartbeat. He dragged himself forward and out of the ship blindly. He surged into a nearby bush, twigs scraping his pelt and tugging out fur. He closed his eyes and tried to ignore the numb feeling that was spreading through him. He fell harshly on a patch of moss and the whole world went black.


	14. They’re Gone and It’s My Fault

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The loss of Bine slices through Halftail harsher than any battle wound. Will he be able to move on without her?

“Halftail."

Halftail lifted his head and saw Bine standing a few paces away from him. Halftail's eyes widened as he looked over to his mate. "Bine," he breathed as he drew forward.

He then noticed that two kits were positioned at Bine's paws. He suddenly realized it was Sweetsong and Wildspirit. Both of them were so small, but both had bright blue eyes like their mother. Even if they would rear up on their hind legs they wouldn't be able to reach their mother's back. 

“Bine," breathed Halftail again, but when he went to touch them lightning flashed and she disappeared. "No! Bine!"

He turned and saw the figure of Brist standing over him. Halftail gulped as he looked up. "They're gone. They're all gone."

“And it's all your fault," he hissed.

Halftail turned and darted before he bumped into Swifttail. He was full grown and laying sprawled in a clearing, with blood oozing from his neck. "No! No! No! No!"

He suddenly awoke with someone shaking his shoulder. His eyes stretched wide and he saw Kanan sitting beside him, struggling to wake him up.

“Halftail. You need to calm down. This isn't good for you," chided Kanan as he forced Halftail to lay down and he almost seemed to hug him close. Halftail felt strange because of the embrace, but he welcomed it.

“They're gone," cried Halftail as sobs shook his shoulders and his eyes almost narrowed. "They're gone!"

Kanan sighed heavily. "I know, but you still have one. Swifttail, I believe?"

Halftail let out a croak. "I have one son who won't know his mother, sister, or brother," he rasped and even Kanan had trouble hearing him.

Kanan shook his head. "You will let them live on in her memory, I'm sure," he explained as he drew back a bit from Halftail and helped him sit up. "I am so sorry for what happened. That shouldn't happen to anyone, let alone a cat as loyal as Bine."

Just the mention of her name made Halftail begin to sob. Kanan was a bit surprised, but that didn’t stop him from he wrapping his arms around him as allowed Halftail to lean on his arm. "It's all my fault. I killed my mate," he cried out, his keening growing louder and louder. It rocked the forest and Halftail heard prey scuttle away. 

“No you didn't," scolded Kanan as he tried to calm him down. "It was a combined effort and if you really want to blame someone, blame the universe. They made you the way that you are.

Halftail couldn't blame the universe. It seemed foolish. "I can't be a father. I don't want to be a father," he sniffed as just the thought of Swifttail made his stomach churn.

“You must," pointed out Kanan as his eyebrows raised. "You are his father and he needs you. He has no mother. You're all that he has."

Halftail didn't want that, but he knew that he had to. He rose to his paws despite feeling heavy and grief stricken. "Alright," he wheezed as he forced himself forward, his tail dragging behind him. Kanan followed from a safe distance and when he neared Bine's body he saw Sorrel, Molis, and Hera all sitting beside her with the two dead kits that were nestled at her underbelly. Still no milk flowed.

Halftail passed without a dip of his head and saw Sabine holding his son and nursing him with a bottle of formula. "He's hungry," chuckled Sabine as she watched him feed. "It's like he's never had milk before."

“He hasn't," muttered Halftail as he dragged himself over

Zeb came over and hunkered down. "I'm sorry for that comment I said about you being crazy," he apologized awkwardly as he ran his paw behind his head.

The apology meant nothing to Halftail. He hadn't heard Zeb say anything. "That's alright," he meowed simply as he strode forward and looked at his son. He looked like an exact copy of Bine.

“He's very precious," Sabine told Halftail as she finished feeding him and she stroked him gingerly. 

Halftail smiled as he took his son by the scruff. "Yes, he is," he agreed and when he took him away from Sabine, he wailed, pawing toward Sabine with still closed eyes.

Anger surged inside of Halftail. He was Swifttail’s father, not Sabine! He turned away and strode toward the corner again and lowered down. Swifttail pawed around a bit before he found a comfortable place in the curve of Halftail's underbelly. Halftail licked him in a quick grooming session and when it dried he looked even more like a snow leopard. 

‘You're as beautiful as your mother," breathed Halftail into the small tom's ear. He let out a whimper and Halftail nodded as he bit his tongue. "Yeah, I miss her too."

Halftail saw Kanan draw forward and kneel down. He passed a few bottles of formula over to Halftail. "You'll need this. Every two hours," he reminded Halftail.

Halftail nodded, wondering how it would feel to be a she-cat and carry all that milk in his belly. "Do you think the crew wouldn't mind helping?"

Kanan shook his head as he beamed. "Of course not! Just say when you'll need help and we'll be there."

Halftail looked outside to Bine's body. "Could I have some help now? I'd like to say my good-byes before I bury my mate. I know that she loved Lothal so she'd love to be buried here."

Kanan sat down and took Swifttail from his father's underbelly. He wrapped him in a warm blanket and held him close to his chest. "No problem. I've always had a soft spot for kids."

“Thank you," Halftail meowed gratefully before he rose to his paws and trotted toward Bine's body. Sorrel and Molis made room for him to lower at her head. He noticed that her eyes were still open and he gingerly ran his paw over her eyelashes to close them. Now she looked truly peaceful.

“I'm terribly sorry for your loss, Halftail," barked Molis as he bowed a bit, his ears plastered against his head. "You shouldn't have had to go through all that at one time."

Halftail curled his tail a bit. "Thank you, Molis," he meowed dismissively. Molis drew back a bit before he nudged Sorrel's haunch a bit.

“But I want to stay," argued Sorrel defiantly.

Molis let out a growl. "Let's let Halftail say his final good-byes and give him some space. That's what is respectful," he explained to Sorrel cooly.

Sorrel cast one more glance over her shoulder before she finally marched forward, Molis at her heel. Once Halftail was sure that it was only him and Hera around Bine, he lowered down and he touched his nose to hers. "I'm sorry, my love. I know that one day I will see you again, but that day seems so far away."

He drew back up and he felt Hera stroking his back. "I'm thankful to you, Halftail."

Halftail looked up. "Why would you be thankful to me?"

“You made Bine so happy and I am forever grateful. You were the best thing that happened to her and I'm sure that she told you that," she replied.

Halftail nodded and Hera gave Bine one last kiss behind the ears before she rose to her feet and vanished into the Ghost. Halftail knew it was time to bury Bine and the kits. He rose to his paws and sunk his teeth into Bine's shoulder. With some effort and grunting he managed to throw her on his back. He picked up both kits by the scruff since they were about the size as mice. 

He strode to the edge of a tiny strip of forest and set them down. He began to dig harshly into the ground. Dirt and grit filled his claws and made them ache, but he didn't care. Their grave would be the best grave he had ever made. Once the grave was big enough for Bine, he nudged his mate into it. She landed with a burst of dust and Halftail's face fell. 

He licked each of his kits in turn before he pushed them on their mother so that she would always protect them. He then kicked and pushed the dust so that it fell on them. He buried them quickly and once he was finished, he grasped as many pebbles, rocks, and twigs as possible on the grave so that no animal would uncover it. 

“I'm sorry, Bine! I promise that I will raise Swifttail to live in your memory and be the best cat that he can be." His voice felt hollow and he knew that the world would grieve for Bine tonight.


	15. Training

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Swifttail is growing fast, but Halftail is not ready to let it him go.

A few months (moons) later

“Show me a battle move," demanded a black tom with green eyes and white splotches as he danced around Halftail’s paws.

Halftail let out a purr of amusement and nudged him gingerly away. "I've been showing you battles moves for the past few days. Can't you give me a break?"

The tom shook his head madly. "I have to be ready! That's what Zeb always says."

Halftail rolled his eyes as he lowered down. His son had grown in the past three moons, but he was still small and a kit. The whole crew had pitched in to help raise him, but Halftail always reminded them that he was his father and what he said goes.

“Oh it is," murmured Halftail as he yawned.

The tom leaped onto Halftail's shoulders and nodded. "Yeah! He said once you and mother fought an army of the Empire," he exclaimed.

Halftail sat up and and the tom slid from his back. "He may have been exaggerating that, Swifttail. I think we only fought a few soldiers," he argued as he licked his paw and drew it over his ear in a quick grooming ritual.

Swifttail shook his head. "I also heard from Hera that you and mother took down a large bird and lion creature," he exclaimed, his whiskers twitching.

Halftail rolled his eyes before he looked over to Swifttail. "Maybe one day you'll take down one too.”

“I can! I can,” chanted Swifttail before he turned and looked at Sorrel as she strode forward. He lowered into a crouch and growled playfully. Sorrel lowered in front of him before they both leaped, landing and tussling around. 

Halftail was just glad that Swifttail had found someone else to pester. He strode up the ladder and into the cockpit. He saw Hera and Kanan talking and he looked upward. "Find anything interesting?"

Kanan looked backwards. "Oh, hi, Halftail! Yeah, we found a raid on Coruscant," he answered and once he saw Halftail stiffen he continued. "It's okay. We're going to the Underworld."

“Yeah, because that's always a nice place," muttered Halftail as he rolled his eyes.

Hera chuckled. "It's just a recon mission, with some fresh supplies as well. I thought that maybe Swifttail wouldn't mind joining us," she suggested.

Halftail looked up in shock. "S-Swifttail," he stammered before he shook his tail. "No way! He's only three moons old."

“There won't be anyone there," argued Kanan as he sat back with folded arms. "Besides, you can't keep him cooped up forever."

Halftail shook his head madly. "I'm not trying too. I just want to keep him safe and it's safe here," he explained as he thrust a paw down harshly. 

Hera turned back to staring into space. "I suppose I could watch him, but don't be surprised if he ends up flying the ship," she sighed with a shrug.

A growl rolled in Halftail's throat. "Alright, but I want all eyes on him. If anything happens to him, I don't know what I'd do," he confessed as he turned and strode from the cockpit, wishing he wouldn't have gone in in the first place. He didn't need them to tell him where Swifttail should and shouldn't go. He was his son after all!

He looked over to where his son was and saw that Sorrel was teaching him a new battle move, one that he had taught her a few moons before. Bine had been there, giving the Ocelot pointers every so often, but she had allowed Halftail to take the lead. She knew how much teaching meant to Halftail.

Once he was sure that Swifttail was alright, he strode toward his and Kanan's room. He reared on his hind legs and opened the door with a gentle push. Once he was in, he glared toward where he knew his Jedi belt was. He hadn't looked at it in years, let alone opened it. He hadn't had any need to. 

He shook his gaze away from it before he picked up a few pill bottles. Every since Swifttail was born he was a lot more dedicated to taking his medication. He wasn't about to leave Swifttail without a mother and father. He knew what that was like, he wasn't about to show his son what it was like.

Once he swallowed them, he heard the door open behind him. By the sound of the footsteps and the scent he knew that it was Molis. "Do you need something?"

Molis pushed in, his ear twitching. "Does there have to be something wrong for me to want to talk to you?"

Halftail shrugged. "No, but usually something is wrong. Are you spicing things up," he teased as he sat down and continued to groom his matted brown fur.

Molis came up behind him and wagged his tail. "Swifttail certainly has your spirit. I know you can't see it, but I certainly can," he rumbled as he sat beside Halftail.

Halftail didn't want Swifttail to have anything from him, but he just nodded. "He certainly has spirit. He'll need it."

Molis twitched an ear. "How come? Is there something that I should know," he inquired as he leaned forward and blinked his eyes at Halftail.

Halftail turned and curled his tail over his back. "Swifttail is joining us on a small raid and observation of Coruscant."

Molis chuckled. "From your voice I can tell that you don't want him to go," chuckled Molis as he nudged Halftail's shoulders gingerly. "You know that you can't keep him there forever!"

Halftail drew back a bit. "I know! I don't want to keep him here forever, just a bit longer," he mumbled into his chest fur.

Molis snorted in amusement. "You're just like Bine," he murmured as he rose to his paws and shook out his tail. "Do you want me to send Swifttail in?"

Halftail nodded thankfully to his new friend. "Yeah. That would be great." Molis let out a bark before he charged down the hallway. 

Halftail waited a while until he heard the pounding of pawsteps behind him. Swifttail skidded into the room, but slipped and slid under Kanan's bed, hitting the wall with a crash. Halftail cringed as he darted to his paws and surged toward the bed. "Swifttail?"

Under here, dad," he grumbled as he crawled out from under the bed and fluffed out his fur. 

Halftail snorted. "Yeah, I see that. Be careful." He lowered down and licked some dirt and dust from Swifttail's chest fur. Swifttail pushed him back and Halftail was surprised at his growing strength. 

“I know. I'm working on it," he assured as he shook out his fur madly and scratched a spot under his chin. "Molis said that you needed me. Can you make it quick? Sorrel and I are going to have a wrestling tournament!"

Halftail couldn't believe how determined his son was, despite the fact that he was so young. He was small and his fur was kit soft, but that didn't stop him at baring his fangs at anyone who said anything bad about anyone on the Ghost. He loved his loyalty, but he was afraid that might get him killed. 

“I promise that this won't take long," he assured as he lowered his head and licked his son between the ears. "I have a surprise for you."

Swifttail tilted his head. "What kind of surprise," he inquired as he leaned forward, nearly falling forward on his muzzle.

Halftail swallowed a purr. "We're stopping at Coruscant for recon and a small raid. It's a simple mission but if you'd like to come you can."

Swifttail's eyes glowed and widened so much that Halftail was sure that his eyes were going to fall out. "R-Really? You're not joking?

Halftail shook his head. "Nope. If you want to come I won't stop you, but I don't want you out of my sight, understand," he meowed as he shot his son a stern gaze. He was pretty sure that Swifttail didn't see it so he thought he'd let his son have his few heartbeat of joy.

Swifttail leaped around, nearly tripping over his long tail that Halftail partly envied. "I'm going on a raid! I'm going on a raid!" He then spun around with confusion in his eyes. "What's a raid?”

Halftail rolled his eyes before he cuffed his son's ear. "A raid is where we take from the Empire," he explained as he stretched out with his back arching. "It's how we survive."

“Are we going to have to fight," breathed Swifttail hopefully.

Halftail shook his head. "Not this time. It's a simple mission and that's the only reason that you're coming," he told him as he pointed a paw at Swifttail. 

Swifttail nodded vigorously. "I understand. I understand. Thank you so much for letting me go." He reared on his hind legs and touched his nose to his father's.

Halftail couldn't help but purr. "Don't step out of line. I want to make sure that you're safe and you have to make sure that you listen."

Swifttail took a step back. "I promise I will, Dad. Can I go and play now?"

Halftail nudged Swifttail's haunch. "Alright, go on. Have fun with Sorrel," he purred as he watched his son turn and dart through the hallways. 

He smiled timidly and shook his head a bit. He just wished that Bine was there to see their son. She should be there be on Swifttail's first mission. However, she wasn't, so he was going to have to be there for him and protect him until his last breath.


	16. Help From Outsiders

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A trip to a familiar world isn’t as simple as it may seem.

Swifttail crept forward, leaping on a pebble. It skidded forward and fell away from him. He frowned and was about to dart toward it, but Halftail thrust a paw on his son's tail and drew him back.

Swifttail looked back and smiled sheepishly. "What did I tell you about staying close to one of us," snapped Halftail as he narrowed his eyes.

Swifttail sat upward and shuffled his paws. "I'm sorry. I just want to pounce," he meowed into his chest fur in embarrassment. 

Halftail turned to Kanan, who was leading the group, and dipped his head. Kanan strode forward with Zeb at his side. Molis strode at Sabine’s and Sorrel's side. Halftail and Swifttail brought up the rear and Halftail realized how strange it was to walk at his son's side and not his mate's side. 

They managed to rent a speeder, but Swifttail seemed hesitant as to riding on one. "It's alright," meowed Halftail into his son's ear. "I've been in one of these numerous times and nothing ever happened. I promise that everything is going to be alright."

Swifttail didn't look like he believed him, but Halftail gave him a gentle shove and he stumbled into the speeder. Halftail leaped after him and the door closed. It was a little snug, but Halftail didn't need that much space. Swifttail didn't want anything to do with the speeder, but Halftail managed to coax him to look over the doors and look at the beauties that Coruscant had to offer. 

“Isn't it beautiful," prodded Halftail as his breath made the fur on Swifttail's spine stand on end.

Swifttail looked around as they lowered into the Underworld. "Yeah, but where are we going. It's starting to smell weird," complained Swifttail as he wrinkled his nose. 

Halftail knew what Swifttail was talking about, but he had almost gotten used to it. He used to live on this planet. "You'll get used to it in a little bit," assured Halftail as he looked over to Sorrel, who's eyes were widened in surprise. She had never been to Coruscant either. 

“You used to live here," grumbled Sorrel as she pressed a paw against her nose. "I can't believe it!"

“We didn't live down here," chided Kanan as they continued downward. "We were in a giant building, toward the sky so the air was a lot fresher."

Zeb chuckled as he thought about where Kanan and Halftail used to live. "And you make fun of where I live? This place is much worse."

Sabine and Sorrel let out nods of agreement while Swifttail let out a sneeze to try and clear his nostrils. Halftail looked past Swifttail to see the ground below. Kanan landed the speeder and Swifttail was the first one out, feeling a jolt through his paws as he landed. Halftail leaped down beside him and blinked his eyes as drunk aliens lumbered past, nearly stepping on both of them. 

Kanan, Zeb, Sabine, Sorrel, and Molis leaped from the speeder. Swifttail tried to draw forward, but Halftail sunk his teeth into his son's scruff and hauled him backwards. "What did I say? Stay with us. This can be a dangerous place," he growled before he let his son go and Swifttail shook his head to clear it.

Kanan looked around through narrowed eyes. Sabine placed on her helmet while Zeb stalked around. Molis lowered to the ground with Sorrel copying his movements. Swifttail tried, but he was louder than when he walked. Halftail just picked him up by the scruff and allowed him to ride on his back. Swifttail sunk his claws into Halftail's shoulder to keep him from sliding off.

They strode forward silently and once then stopped, Halftail allowed for Swifttail to leap from his shoulders. "Why did we stop," inquired Swifftail.

Sorrel looked over her shoulder toward him. "Kanan found the supplies we are looking for," she answered over her shoulder. "We just need to wait for the moment and-"

Before she could even finish speaking Swifttail darted forward. "Swifttail," cried Halftail in shock as he saw his son darting toward the supplies. 

Swifttail surged toward the supplies, but before he could get far, a gray and black she-cat surged from the shadows and sunk her teeth into Swifttail's scruff, throwing him sideways easily. She was much larger than him, just slightly smaller than Halftail himself. That didn't stop Halftail from surging forward to his son's protection.

He snarled as he raked a claw against the side of the she-cat's face, pushing her away from Swifttail. He bared his teeth in a snarl and arched his back. "Get away from him," he snarled as his hackles rose. 

The she-cat turned to face him. "You're not getting those supplies and he just gave away your position," hissed the she-cat as she spiraled her head toward the rest of the group. 

“In case you didn't notice, you're outnumbered," pointed out Halftail as he turned his head a bit so that the she-cat could soak it in.

The she-cat smirked. "All I have to do is yowl and it'll send those Empire wolf-hearts coming," she growled as she curled her lip. 

Sifttail poked his head from around his father. "You don't like the Empire either?"

The she-cat let out a snort. "Why would I like them? They killed my father," she growled as her muscles tensed. 

Swifttail went to say something else, but Halftail turned and hissed at him to quiet him. "What if we split the supplies? From the look of you, you could use what's in there."

The she-cat's eyes widened before another hiss sounded as a gray male with black stripes limped found. His eyes were blue and met the she-cat's green eyes. "They're coming, Adler," he panted as his eyes blinked rapidly. 

Adler gave a firm nod. "Understood, Birch." She looked over to Halftail and Swifttail before she turned to the rest of the group. She let out an angry growl before she shook her head a bit. "Follow me," she snapped over her shoulder as she allowed Birch to lean on her a bit. 

She started forward with Birch leaning on her. Halftail sighed heavily as he sunk his teeth into Swifttail's scruff and held his son toward his chest. They met up with Kanan and the rest of the group.

“What are you doing and who are they," inquired Kanan as he looked at Adler and Birch.

Halftail didn't want to explain. "Just follow them. They know a place to hide and the Empire is coming."

“You said that they don't come down here," muttered Zeb as he narrowed his eyes at Kanan. 

“Let's not argue about this now," growled Birch as he looked upward at Zeb. "They're coming and they come here in great numbers."

“Lead the way," barked Molis before Halftail took a step forward with Swifttail still hanging by the scruff form his mouth. Halftail nodded to Birch and Adler hopefully. 

Adler surged forward with Birch at her side, supporting himself on shaky paws. The rest of the group followed and they led them toward a large building that seemed to be in the middle of nowhere. They pushed themselves in and the rest of the crew followed Halftail in. Once they strode in, Halftail released Swifttail.

Swifttail darted forward and looked at the building. "Wow, this place is amazing," he purred as his whiskers twitched.

Birch turned his head and nodded at Swifttail. "It is. It was a much better place before the war, but we take what we can get around here."

“You can go and look around if you want," offered Adler as she gave her head a small flick. Halftail shot her a look and she smiled. "It's perfectly safe. Just don't get any bright idea about jumping from above."

Swifttail nodded his head vigorously before he turned and darted toward the steps. Molis bounded after him. "I'll watch after him," assured Molis as he dipped his head to Halftail.

Halftail sighed thankfully before he looked over to Birch and Adler. "Thank you for this. You didn't have to warn us," meowed Halftail.

Birch smiled a bit. "It was nothing," he assured as he lowered down into a laying down position, painfully. Adler helped him the rest of the way down before she licked his cheek. 

“I don't think that it was nothing," argued Kanan as he sat down. "I want to thank you as well."

Adler settled beside Birch and looked up to the ones that they had brought in. "Sit down. You have at least the night until we're sure that they're gone."

Halftail settled down, relieved to be off his paws for even a few heartbeats. "Everyone, this is Adler and Birch. I probably should have told you that earlier, but time was of the essence."

“It's a pleasure to meet you," murmured Kanan as he even dipped his head, knowing that animals took that as a sign of respect and almost surrender. They knew that he wasn't going to try anything. "I'm Kanan and this is Halftail, Zeb, Sabine, and Sorrel."

“My son, Swifttail is off exploring with Molis," Halftail added as he heard Swifttail's yowls of delight.

Birch's eyes faded. "Halftail, Swifttail, I haven't heard names like that in years," he rasped as he rested his head on his paws, his limp leg giving a twitch.

Adler sighed heavily and shook her head. "I'm sorry. Our father had a name like your. Losing him took a toll on my brother and I," she confessed.

“How have you been surviving for as long as you have," wondered Sabine as she looked around. "I mean your brother is lame and you two look like you're starving."

To everyone's surprise Adler didn't take offense to that. "It's difficult, but he has other strengths. He was training to be a healer and he knows not only ever herb, but also other healing as well. He's the smartest cat I've ever met."

“From your experience of two," taunted Zeb.

The fur on Adler's spine stood on end and fury flashed in her eyes. "We used to live in a pride of cats," she spat as she bared her teeth at Zeb. "Then the Empire came in and wiped the out. The ones that weren't killed escaped. Unfortunately, Birch can't manage that far of a trip so we had to stay here."

Kanan shot Zeb a look. "I'm sorry. We mean no disrespect."

Adler relaxed a bit, her claws retracting. "It's alright. Once you're ignorant you're ignorant forever," she muttered with her gazed burning into Zeb. He eventually looked away and Halftail couldn't help but purr.

“You say that your father had a name like me," pressed Halftail, wondering what that meant. That, and he wanted to get Birch talking. He seemed like a quieter cat.

Birch looked up. "His name was Deadfoot. He wasn't born with that name but out pride was cruel. It was a wonder that they didn't change my name."

“They did," corrected Adler as she flashed her brother a sympathetic look. "I just wouldn't let anyone call him Birchfoot. That seemed almost cruel."

Birch twitched his ears. "They changed everyone's name after a while for security and protection. It didn't help any. Everyone ended up skinned or skittish."

Adler sighed heavily. "Life for a prideless cat here isn't easy. The Empire is growing where the Jedi used to. If crime was bad back then, it's worse now. I'm surprise that we're still alive."

Halftail's eyes softened as he looked at the littermates. "If you don't mind me asking, what was your name? I named all of my kits the ancient way."

Adler seemed more willing to share. "Adlerleaf. I didn't mind it, but I didn't want them to call my brother Birchfoot. That just seems so cruel."

“It would make his spirit stronger," pointed out Halftail as he swung his tail into view. "Take it from a cat who changed his own name."

Birch smiled a bit but Adler shook her head. "Why are you even here? You must know the dangers of traveling to this planet," she pointed out.

Halftail nodded before Sorrel traveled forward. "What do you think my name would be if I had a name like that," she butted in with bright eyes.

“What's your regular name," inquired Birch.

“Sorrel," she answered as her chest puffed out with pride at just saying it.

Birch thought for a heartbeat. "Sorrelspeck. I think that's a very good name for a cat like you."

Sorrel puffed out her chest even more and Halftail rolled his eyes. He then heard a yelp from Swifttail and his ears pivoted on his head. He rose to his paws and his tail stood straight up. 

“I'm sure that he's fine," assured Adler as she blinked her eyes. "Everything here is certainly kit proof. Birch and I were kits here and we explored everything in here."

Halftail gave a growl. "I'm sure, but Swifttail can get into things that you and Birch probably didn't think about."

With that Halftail set out with Adler following. "Well I can help make sure that everything is safe," she offered as Sorrel rose to her paws and followed.

Once they were gone, Birch let out a sniff. "I'm sure that we got into everything too," he reported as his ears plastered against his head. 

“Don't pay him too much mind," grunted Zeb as he looked over to Birch. "He's crazier than a swamp beast on Tatooine."

Kanan nudged him harshly as Sabine narrowed her eyes. "I'm sorry about Halftail and Zeb. Zeb is always like that. Halftail is just overprotective of his son. He lost his mate and two more of his kits."

Birch snorted as he rested his head on his paws. "That may end up being his greatest downfall."


	17. Mentor

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Halftail feels that he may be replaced as the one that Swifttail turns to.

Swifttail surged forward as he leaped from stone to stone. The ground was a bit rough, but he just told himself it was part of his training. "Come on, Molis," called Swifttail over his shoulder. "This is fun!"

“That's enough," growled Halftail as he surged forward and narrowed his eyes. "I don't want you falling from here and hurting yourself."

Swifttail tilted his head. "But it's fun up here and Adler and Birch said that it was safe."

“I don't care what Adler or Birch said," snapped Halftail as he lashed his stubby tail against the ground, sending a jolt up his spine. "They might be wrong."

“I highly doubt that," interrupted Adler as she pranced forward on light paws. Swifttail looked up to her with admiration shinning in his eyes. "Birch and I were very mischievous kits and we got into a lot. Our mother was always finding us in strange places."

Swifttail chuckled. "Really? You?"

Halftail tried to stop her, but Adler pushed past him. "Oh, yes. I could show you some of our very favorite places," she offered as she nudged her nose against Swifttail's cheek. 

“I don't think-" Halftail began but Swiftail beat him to an answer.

“I'd love to," purred Swifttail as he reared on his hind legs.

Adler looked to Halftail. "I'll watch over him. Why don't you get some rest?"

Halftail's jaw dropped, but before he could say anything Molis surged forward and pressed against Halftail. "Adler's right. You've been running rampant for moons now. A night of rest could do you very well, Halftail."

Halftail couldn't believe that Molis would suggest that. However, he wasn't about to argue with him in front of Swifttail and Adler. "Alright, but be careful," he warned Swifftail.

“I will," vowed Swifttail as he bounded forward with Adler at his side.

“Would you like me to go too," inquired Sorrel as she crept forward with her tail curling over her back.

Halftail gave a slight nod, feeling at if his son was falling through his claws. "Yes, thank you, Sorrel. Just don't impose. Swifttail seems to like her."

Sorrel surged forward while Molis turned Halftail toward the stairs. Sorrel bounded to Adler's side, her eyes shinning as questions filled her mind.

“So have you lived here all of your life," inquired Sorrel as she pressed against Adler a bit, standing on her tiptoes to try and seem as tall as her.

Adler lowered down and smiled at Sorrel. "I have. I was born her, but I don't plan to die here. I'd like to leave Coruscant, but I couldn't leave Birch."

“Is it hard to have a brother who is lame," pressed Sorrel.

Adler narrowed her eyes and twitched her tail trip. "He's not lame! It's hard, but it's harder for him. I don't like to push him beyond his limit. I love my brother and I’d do anything for him."

Sorrel knew that she probably shouldn't ask Adler anymore questions, so she strode toward Swifttail. He was lowering and pushing through any crack or crevice that he could. Eventually Adler took the lead and strode into a room. "Now, this is my favorite room. It's Birch's too, but once the Empire took over, we shared it."

Swifttail pushed in and looked around in awe as Adler turned on the light with a flick of her tail tip. Stars seem to appear overhead while the wall was littered in bottles of labeled herbs. Sorrel strode after her and stopped when she found a bottle of herbs labeled, sorrel. "This is me! This is me!" She began to chant as she looked at the herb. 

Adler nodded. "These are all Birch's. Him and the prior healer collected these. This is probably why we stayed alive so long. We trade them for supplies, prey and other things. They are out lifeline."

Swifttail reared on his hind legs and touched a bottle of fennel with his nose. "This is incredible! Birch knows all of these?"

Adler nodded in pride. "He's one of the smartest cats I know. Just because he isn't able to hunt and fight doesn't mean that he's useless."

Sorrel turned back to Adler. "Do you know anything about herbs, Adler?"

Adler chuckled and shook her head. "That's my brother's specialty. I know a few simple things, but he's the expert. Like I said, he’s very smart."

“Do you think he could teach me about herbs and such," wondered Swifttail hopefully.

Adler was impressed. "Sure. You could ask him, but don't be angry if he says no. He is just a little grumpy now since he doesn't feel like he pulls his weight."

“I can make him say yes," exclaimed Swifttail before he turned and darted from the den. 

Adler sighed heavily she looked over to Sorrel. "I'm sure that he'll make a fantastic healer. We don't have enough of those these days," murmured Adler darkly.

Sorrel chuckled. "I'm not sure that his father will approve but we can always try," she suggested but thinking about Halftail made her shake her head. "But you're right. He was a fighter once, not a healer."

“We'll have to see," murmured Adler as she strode forward with Sorrel at her tail.

They traveled down the steps to where Swifttail was jumping dangerously close to Birch’s injured leg. "Can I ask you a question," inquired Swifttail as he jumped a bit as he spoke.

Birch raised his tail and pushed Swifttail away. "Just don't step on my leg or the answer will definitely be no," he muttered as his ears shoved forward. 

Swifttail relaxed a bit and sat down, his tail curled around his paws. "Adler showed me your stores of herbs and they look really interesting. Will you teach me some of them?"

Birch seemed surprise and his eyes widened as his fur puffed out. "You want to learn about herbs," he repeated Swifttail's question so that he knew what he was asking.

Swifttail nodded vigorously. "Yes, please! May I?"

Birch looked over to Halftail, who's face fell. He didn't say anything to everyone surprise. He just sat with his ears twitching and eyes darting around as if he was looking for someone. H wanted to say something, but nothing came out of his muzzle. 

“I will teach you everything I know," assured Birch as he dipped his head slightly. "Alright, but you have to be dedicated, okay?"

Swifttail thought about it before he tipped his head. "I promise. I-I want to be a healer," he stammered.

Adler smiled before she looked to Kanan with slightly confused eyes. "I suppose this means that we can join your crew of rebels?"

“No way," argued Zeb as he pointed to Birch. "That injured cur will just slow us down!"

Birch rose to his paws and let out a strained breath. He snarled in rage and his hackles rose. "I am not useless! See if I help you when you're sick or injured!"

“You're not useless, Birch," argued Adler as she rushed to her brother's side and licked his cheek. "Don't let that stupid Lasot tell you differently."

Zeb narrowed his eyes as he charged toward Birch and Adler. "Stupid Lasot? Oh, yeah?!"

He thrust a paw toward Birch and Adler, but they moved quickly. Birch slumped to the side while Adler sprang to action. She leaped onto Zeb's shoulder and used her weight to make him stagger. Birch forced himself up to his paws and he stumbled forward, sinking his teeth into Zeb's leg and pulling. He fell on his back and growled in surprise. 

Adler pressed a paw with claws unsheathed against his throat while Birch struggled to hold down his arms. "Do something like that again and I'll push until I see your eyes bulge from your head," threatened Adler as she leaped from Zeb and nodded to Birch. He let his arms go and he stumbled toward Adler. 

“Birch can fight as good as you, Dad," exclaimed Swifttail with admiration in his eyes for the black and gray tom cat.

Halftail's face fell. "You're right, he isn't a bad fighter for being lame."

Birch didn't say anything but he gave a twitch of his ears. He strode toward Swifttail. "I'll teach you some moves with three legs in case one of your legs is injured in battle," he offered as he touched his nose to Swifttail's ear.

The fur on Halftail's spine stood on end, but Molis padded to his side. "In their pride they have a mentoring system. The mentor takes over as a father role, but Swifttail will always be your son."


	18. Talking It Out

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Halftail is faced with some hard truths.

Once they arrived back on the Ghost with Birch and Adler, Hera sighed. "Soon this ship isn't going to be able to fit anyone else," she teased before she nodded at Birch and Adler. "But it's a pleasure to meet both of you."

“I'm going to be a healer," chanted Swifttail as he darted forward and looked over to Chopper. "Can you believe it?"

Chopper let out some beeps before he pushed Swifttail, making him laugh a bit as he pushed Chopper back. Chopper shocked Swifttail and Swifftail growled as he launched himself at Chopper, but missed, sending himself flying into the wall. 

“Let's go, Chopper," muttered Hera as she strode toward the cockpit. "Coruscant isn't a place you want to stay unless you have to."

Chopper reluctantly followed and Swifttail shook his head to clear it. Adler turned and looked to Sorrel and Swifttail. "How about for today we teach you both some battle moves that I learned from my pride?"

Swifttail's eyes glowed and he nodded before Sorrel darted toward Swifttail. Kanan nodded over to Zeb. "How about we go and check the Phantom?” Zeb was about to say something, but Kanan elbowed him and Zeb nodded while rubbing at his side. Molis followed and that left Birch and Halftail alone.

“May I speak with you," inquired Birch as he tilted his head hopefully. 

Halftail wasn't sure why, but if they were going to be on the crew together, then he supposed that he should get to know Birch. He looked around. "Is there any specific place you would like to go?"

Birch shook his head. "You can decide. It is your ship. You know it better than I do."

Halftail nodded and he realized he felt tightness in his body. He hadn't been able to take his medication today. They would have to do it in his and Kanan's room. "Follow me. You'll have to climb. Tell me if you need help."

Halftail thought that Birch was too proud to ask for help, but on the second wrung he looked up, panting hard. "Could I have some help," he asked in embarrassment.

Halftail nodded as he turned and sunk his teeth into Birch's scruff. He may look large, but he was only skin and bones with minimal strength in his muscles. "You'll get used to it soon," assured Halftail though Birch's thick scruff. Once he hauled Birch to the top of the ladder, he released him. Once Birch caught his breath, he nodded in appreciation to Halftail.

Halftail waved a paw in the direction they were going and he saw that his paw was shaking madly. He had to make it to the room, and quickly. He broke into a trot and Birch's eyes widened a bit. "Slow down," pleaded Birch, but Halftail barely heard.

He darted into the door and surged toward his bag. He rummaged through it and found his syringe. Birch showed at the door and his eyes widened as Halftail jabbed it into his foreleg. Once he released the liquid from the entire syringe, he slumped downward, sighing heavily. 

“Are you alright," gasped Birch as his ears stood up straight on his head. 

Halftail looked over to Birch. "I'm fine," he rasped as he tossed the syringe away, growling under his breath. "I just needed to get my meds."

“You're ill," meowed Birch in surprise as he dragged himself forward, his lame leg bumping against the ground. "I would have never guessed."

Halftail curled his lip. "No one does," he panted as he lowered down, his paws still twitching at his body struggled to calm down. "It's not something that I choose to advertise."

Birch sat down and wrapped his tail around three of his paws while his lame one thrust outward. "I hope that Starbound cures you if medicine can't."

Halftail had heard that numerous times before and he was sick of it. "What did you want to speak to me about," wondered Halftail as he looked up to Birch.

Birch shook his head to clear it. "Right! I saw the way that you looked at me when Swifttail asked to train under me as a healer," he began.

Just the mention of that made Halftail freeze a bit. "Yeah, well, you would have probably looked like that too," Halftail pointed out briskly.

Birch didn't take it to offense. "I heard from Molis that you know your way around herbs too," he meowed as he raised a paw and began to groom his whiskers.

Halftail just curled his tail. "When I was ill I learned a lot. However, I never thought my path would lead to being a healer. It's just not natural."

Birch drew back, offended. "It's the only path that I have and I think that it's very natural," he meowed before he looked at his hind leg. "My disability may have nudged me in that direction, but those who are like me usually gravitate toward medicine. I understand that Swifttail lost his mother to illness, right?"

Halftail turned his head and he felt like someone had clawed his heart. He opened his mouth, but all that came out what a strained gasp. "Y-Yes."

“I'm sorry if this is a sore spot, but I'm sure that Swifttail doesn't want to lose anyone like that again. That's another reason why some also gravitate toward medicine," explained Birch matter-of-factly. 

Halftail bared his teeth. "Don't group my son with the masses!"

Birch dipped his head. "I'm sorry, Halftail. I just think this is what Swifttail wants to do. If you're dead set against it, then I will tell him that I'm not able to train him, but I see that as cruel."

Halftail lashed his tail. "You may train him. I'm not going to refuse him training just because of me, his father," he muttered through gritted teeth.

“You're jealous," murmured Birch in surprise as his ears flicked. "You're afraid."

“Afraid," scoffed Halftail as he spat a bit as he spoke. "Of what? You? A lame healer?"

Birch rose to his three strong paws. "You're afraid that he's going to gravitate toward me. He's going to like me better than you, his own father."

“Shut up," snarled Halftail as he lunged. Birch jumped and he missed, slamming into the drawer and he was momentarily dazed. He shook his head madly as he turned and saw Birch panting. "You will never be his father!"

Birch shook his head. "I don't want to," assured Birch as he shook his head again. "I just want to be his mentor. You are his father and I don't want to step on your toes."

Halftail gritted his teeth as his back arched a bit. "I lose Bine. I lost Sweetsong. I lost Wildspirit. I lost my Master. I lost everything! I can't lose him too!"

Birch sighed heavily as he drew forward. "You won't. I know that you love him and he knows this, but you two are distant toward each other. You need to draw him closer toward you. You push him away without even knowing it."

Halftail hadn't even realized it. "I love him so much," he gasped as he thought about Bine standing in front of him. She would’ve had a way to bring the two together. She wouldn’t have let Halftail keep Swifttail at tail-length’s distance. She would’ve looked after both of them and now she never would.

“Then show him," suggested Birch with bright eyes. "He can be healer, but also train in battle moves and hunting techniques. I can't teach him that. You can."

Halftail smiled. "Do you really think that Swifttail wants to spend time with me?"

Birch shrugged. "I do, but he needs to see that you're fine. Now, he's seen the strict and disciplinary side, but not the fun and energetic side."

Halftail drew his claws back into his paws. "Then I'll show him that side," he meowed briskly as he surged from the room with Birch following, smiling slightly.

Halftail bounded toward the cargo bay and saw Sorrel holding Swifttail down. Swifttail was pawing desperately at Sorrel's throat, but she was just drawing back, hissing and showing her teeth. In a heartbeat Sorrel wrapped her mouth around Swifttail's neck and Swifttail froze. Sorrel then released him and shook out her pelt. 

Swifttail rose to his paws and shook out his own pelt, muttering under his breath. Halftail leaped down and landed beside his son. "That was a great go. However, when someone has you pinned like that don't go for the neck. Use your hind legs to churn against their underbelly and rip it open. It will force them off of you," advised Halftail.

Swifttail's eyes widened in surprise. "I'll try it. Thanks, Dad,” he purred as he touched his nose to Halftail's nose. 

Halftail was equally surprised as Swifttail darted over to Sorrel and Adler. It was Adler and Sorrel's turn to battle. Adler was larger than Sorrel, but they were around the same age.

Kanan suddenly came over to Halftail as as the ship quaked and it alerted Halftail that they were jumping into hyperspace. "Do you think that they'll make powerful assets to our group?"

Halftail was about to answer, but he was interrupted by Adler thrusting Sorrel against the ground harshly. "I have absolutely no doubts."


	19. Terrible Things

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Halftail feels that it’s time to tell Swifttail about his mother.

“Can you show me some more street moves," begged Swifttail as he waltzed around Adler, blinking his eyes. 

Adler rolled her eyes, knowing that Swifttail could be quite a flirt when he wanted to be. Even though he was now training under Birch, he was still interesting in fighting and hunting. 

Adler shook her head. "Sorry, I'm helping Sabine and Sorrel move some supplies," she meowed as she touched her nose to Swifttail's ear. "See you later!"

She surged forward and he sighed as he watched her leave. Birch came up and looked at Swifttail. "Do you want to do something with me? We could play a game.”

Swifttail shook his head. "No thanks. I really wanted to do something with Adler."

Halftail was sitting a few paces away from his son, speaking to Kanan. Once he heard his son say this, flashbacks surged through Halftail's mind as he thought about him and Bine.

He rose to his paws and strode toward his son. "Swifttail, may I speak with you?"

Swifttail tilted his head. "Sure, what about? Do we need to go somewhere private," he wondered as he looked around.

Halftail did the same thing, but he shook his head. "Kanan is the only one here. I don't think that he's going to say anything to anyone else."

“What do you want to tell me," asked Swifttail with his usual bright and energetic eyes. 

Halftail bit his lip. "A terrible thing."

By the time I was your age, I'd give anything  
To fall in love truly, was all I could think  
That's when I met your mother, the girl of my dreams  
The most beautiful woman, that I'd ever seen

She said, "Boy can I tell you a wonderful thing?  
I can't help but notice, you're staring at me.  
I know I shouldn't say this, but I really believe,  
I can tell by your eyes that you're in love with me."

Now, son, I'm only telling you this  
Because life can do terrible things.

Now, most of the time we'd have too much to drink  
And we'd laugh at the stars and we'd share everything  
Too young to notice, and too dumb to care  
Love was a story that couldn't compare.

I said, "Girl, can I tell you a wonderful thing?  
I made you a present with paper and string.  
Open with care now, I'm asking you, please.  
You know that I love you, will you marry me?"

Now, son, I'm only telling you this  
Because life can do terrible things  
You'll learn, one day, I'll hope and I'll pray,  
That God shows you differently.

She said, "Boy can I tell you a terrible thing?  
It seems that I'm sick and I've only got weeks.  
Please, don't be sad now, I really believe,  
You were the greatest thing that ever happened to me."

Slow, so slow I fell to the ground on my knees.

So don't fall in love, there's just too much to lose  
If you're given the choice, then I beg you to choose  
To walk away, walk away, don't let her get you.  
I can't bear to see the same happen to you.

Now, son, I'm only telling you this  
Because life can do terrible things

Swifttail looked up to his father in surprise with now round eyes. He had heard next to nothing about his mother and how she died. Halftail had never wanted to talk about it so Swifttail didn't press. Now, though, everything was in the open. 

“I don't understand," whimpered Swifttail as he struggled to speak. "How come mother only had weeks? What was wrong with her? When did she die?"

Halftail didn't want to speak, but there was enough unspoken things between him and Swifttail. He had to know. 

“She died after she gave birth," Halftail answered as he looked back to Kanan, wishing to back him up. 

“It was my fault," breathed Swifttail in shock as he looked up at to his father as he took a step back, his head shaking as grief wafted through him.

Halftail drew back in shock. "No! It was not your fault. Don't think that for a minute," he scolded as his head shaking. "It was not your fault!"

“Then who's fault was it," pressed Swifttail as a tear fell down his face. 

Halftail struggled to answer, but he looked back to look at Kanan and he nodded. He gulped and struggled not to vomit. "I-It was my fault," he answered painfully. 

“You killed mother," cried Swifttail so that the whole ship could hear.

“It wasn't like that," argued Kanan as he stepped forward, but Swifttail wasn't listening anymore.

He turned his head madly and he saw that the Ghost's hanger door was open. Before Halftail could say anything Swifttail darted from the ship and toward the snowy terrain of Hoth. 

Halftail darted forward and watched his son romp through the snow. Since he was a snow leopard, not only did he blend in, but he was able to leap and charge through the snow much better than anyone else. It wasn't long before Halftail couldn't see the bob of his son's head or the flashes of black from the splotches on Swifttail’s fur.

He readied himself to follow, but Kanan stopped him. "What do you think you're doing?"

“I'm going after him," answered Halftail as he puffed out his fur against the harsh wind that blew toward him. "I can't just let him freeze to death out there. Besides, it's my fault."

“Hey," Kanan snapped as he kneeled down, his eyes narrowed. "It is not your fault. He took what you said too far and you know it. Don't blame yourself."

Halftail bit his tongue. "I can't leave him out there, Kanan," he argued as he pushed out his muzzle and fierce wind blew against his pelt. 

Kanan sighed before he looked around. "Okay. Go, but be quick! I hear that a storm is coming and we don't want to be caught in this. However, Hoth is the only place for-"

“I know," muttered Halftail as he looked around. "I'll be quick, I promise." He looked at his paws and a thought rang in his ears. I have to be!


	20. Avalanche

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Halftail and Swifttail’s argument could not have happened at a worse time as an avalanche may just end their relationship before it can even truly begin.

Halftail trudged through Hoth, his ears plastered against his head and his fur puffed out to try and shield the harsh winds from his body. It wasn't working. Each time the wind blew, it felt like claws of ice sinking into his pelt. His teeth chattered and he couldn't see anything around him beside whiteness. 

“Swifttail!” yowled Halftail as loudly as he could. He pricked his ears, but heard nothing. He shook his head again and trudged forward as the wind picked up. He tasted the air, hoping to detect his son's scent. 

However, all he could scent was snow and ice. He also could tell a storm was coming and he wanted to make sure both of them weren't caught in it. He continued up a large cliff, struggling to propel himself forward. He began to slip and slide, unable to keep himself upright. Once he even fell on his side in the snow, the cold causing his body to tremble and quake when he tried to right himself and walk. He couldn't keep doing much more of this.

The only thing that gave him hope was Swifttail's leap-prints. They were deep and easy to track. He couldn't scent Swifttail, but he knew how a Snow Leopard ran in the snow, thanks to Bine. 

Once he had moved forward a bit more, he raised his muzzle. "Swifttail!" Again, no answer. He sighed heavily, shaking his head as he muttered under his breath. He forced his shoulders forward to brace the wind as he continued forward as the wind picked up again. 

He suddenly stopped as the leap-prints suddenly vanished. He frowned, but he turned and looked into an icy cavern. He pushed inside, but he realized how tight it was. He squeezed in as much of his fur as possible as he leaped forward, struggling not to make too much noise. The ice could fall at any time. 

He heard sniffs and realized that it had to be Swifttail. "Swifttail," meowed Halftail as he drew forward, picking up the sound of his son and relief washed over him like a wave.

He saw Swifttail pressed against the corner of the icy cavern, his head pressed into his paws. He sobbed lightly and Halftail's heart ached for him. Halftail drew forward some more and stopped when he was a whisker-length away. 

Swifttail suddenly lifted his head and swung it to face Halftail, his lips drawn back in a snarl. "Leave me alone," he bellowed as his tail lashed against the ice. 

Halftail felt things quake a bit around him and his heart skipped a beat. "Swifttail, hush. Your voice is too loud. It'll cause an avalanche."

“I don't care! Leave me alone," snapped Swifttail as he turned away from Halftail and pressed his head against the ice. 

Halftail once again felt his heart skip a beat. "Swifttail," he pleaded as he felt the ice once again tremble around him. "Please be quiet."

Swifttail's fur stood on end. "You killed Mother! Why should I listen to you! I don't want anything to do with you," he yelled as it suddenly echoed around.

Ice began to fall and crumple around. Swifttail's eyes filled in terror as he turned and looked at his father. "Oh, no. Dad!" He leaped for Halftail and Halftail fell backwards from the impact of Swifttail's weight.

“Run," ordered Halftail as he picked up Swifttail slightly by the scruff before he released him and pushed him forward. The two launched themselves forward, but Halftail took the lead. He leaped over a fallen pillar of ice before hearing a yelping and realizing Swifttail wasn't behind him. "Swifttail?"

“Dad," whimpered Swifttail's as his paw shone from under the pillar of ice.

Halftail darted forward and pushed his head under the pillar. He pushed it up with his shoulders and grunted with effort. "Move," he panted as he reared on his hind legs to push it up some more. 

Swifttail exploded from it with ice glittering in his snowy white pelt. Halftail released the pillar and surged after him, pushing his son's haunch as he went. They shot from the cavern and on the edge of the cliff. Halftail let out a sigh of relief before the ground began shifting and moving underneath him.

“Dad," cried Swifttail as he pressed against Halftail with wide eyes as they scanned the surface.

Halftail was going to say something, but before he could, the edge of the cliff dropped, causing Swifttail and Halftail to spiral downward. Swifttail cried as he fell, but Halftail was too scared to and his muzzle seemed clamped shut. Snow and ice around them fell as well and Halftail realized it was a full blown avalanche. 

His head fell against a sharp rock and he rolled sideways. He looked up and, to his horror, snow covered him. He wasn't sure how long it was before the snow stopped falling over him. I felt like moons had passed before he was sure that it was done and he relaxed. He managed to scramble out from the bottom of the snow pile and climb to the top. He shook the snow from his pelt and whiskers before he realized that Swifttail wasn't on top of the snow with him.

“Swifttaill," he cried as he reared on his hind legs and looked around. The avalanche had covered the landscape in feet of fallen snow. There was no way that he was going to be able to find Swifttail and almost no possible way he'd find him alive. 

He shoved his muzzle in the snow, but he couldn't detect any scent. He rose upward and muttered under his breath. "I promise I'll find him, Bine," vowed Halftail as he began furiously clawing at the ground, bringing up clawfulls of snow with him. "I promise!"

He moved from place to place frenziedly. Suddenly, he found what he had been looking for, part of Swifttail's tail tip. His heart beat in his chest as he took a step forward and began to dig where he thought his head was. He brushed snow gingerly away from Swifttail's muzzle and nose. He sunk his teeth into Swifttail's scruff and hauled him up beside him on the thick powder.

He brought Swifttail close to his underbelly to try and warm him quickly. "Swifttail, Swifttail, can you hear me," he asked as he began to lick Swifttail's fur the wrong way to warm him up.

Swifttail laid ominously still. 

Alarm pulsed through Halftail as he forced Swifttail on his back. He pressed his ear against his chest in an attempt to detect Swifttail’s breath. There was nothing. 

“No, no,” Halftail wailed as he started to press his paws against Swifttail’s chest to try and force his heart to beat. “I’m not going to loose you like I did Bine!” He continued to furiously press his paws against Swifttail’s chest as tears streamed from his eyes. “Please, don’t take him from me.”

He let out a wail as his head lowered and pressed against Swifttail’s cheek.

Suddenly, Swifttail finally managed to cough heavily before he turned and vomited water. Once he was finished, he looked over to his father. "What happened?"

“An avalanche," answered Halftail as he hugged Swifttail close. "Hoth is full of them every day. We just don't experience them anywhere else."

Swifttail turned his head to get a better look at Halftail. "Did you really kill Mother?"

Now that was the hardest thing that Halftail had ever been asked in his life. There was no easy way to answer this question. "I don't know. I might have. I gave her a disease that I didn't know I could give her."

Swifttail's eyes turned troubled. "Did she get to meet me?"

Halftail purred noisily. "She named you," he exclaimed with bright eyes. "You were the firstborn and the strongest out of the litter."

“Strongest," echoed Swifttail as he shook snow from his whiskers. "You mean that there were more of us? How many? What were they're names? What happened to them?"

Halftail's head spun. "One question at a time," he scolded before he touched his nose to Swifttail's ear. "Their names were Sweetsong and Wildspirit. They died a little while after your Mother. They weren't born as strong and determined for life as you were."

Swifttail tilted his head. "Then why did Starbound leave me here?"

Halftail smiled sheepishly. "I think that they left you here because they knew that I needed some company. After your mother died I didn't see a reason to live, and then Molis told me that you were still here and that you needed me. I think that's why Starbound left you here."

Swifttail smiled a bit before Halftail rose to his paws, the cold beginning to really set in. "Come on, Swifttail. We better head back. A real storm is brewing and we don't want the crew to be worried."

Swifttail gave a nod of his head as he jumped forward. Halftail romped after him, but he knew that his son was much faster than he was, so he gave up trying to match his speed. He traveled at his own speed and managed to arrive at the Ghost only a few minutes after his son. 

“Halftail, we thought you had frozen," exclaimed Zeb as he pushed Copper a bit and he tumbled over. 

Halftail pushed the rest of the way into the Ghost, freezing from every hair on his pelt. "Very funny, Zeb," he muttered before Birch limped forward with stems and leaves in his jaws. 

“Eat these before you catch a chill," muttered Birch as she dropped them at Halftail's paws. Halftail really didn't need to be told twice. He began to chew the herbs and swallowed them quickly.

Kanan came forward and shut the hanger door. Halftail slumped to his stomach and struggled to breathe thanks to the cold that still sliced through. Swifttail showed in the corner of his vision as he came over to him to lay beside him to try and warm his father up. Halftail didn't have the thick fur that Swifttail had gotten from his mother. 

“Where are we going now," wondered Swifttail as he yawned. 

His eyes began to close and Halftail purred a bit. "Wherever we have to," he answered as Halftail drew him close since he was shivering madly. 

Halftail looked up to Kanan, who drew near with a smile on his face. "I take it you two are good now?"

Halftail looked at Swifttail, who was already drifting off into sleep. “We will be. We will be.”


	21. Crash And Burn

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A light game is brutally interrupt by real troubles.

Halftail swatted at a bright blue ball that he had managed to find thrown away for Swifttail and the others to practice stalking and attacking with. However, right now all they wanted to do was play with it, so that was fine.

“Think fast, Birch," called Swifttail as he thrust the ball toward his mentor.

Birch dove to thrust it back, but his hind leg gave out and he landed on his stomach, pain surging through his whole body. He muttered under his breath as the ball bounced against the back of the ship and disappeared down the hallway.

Adler strode over to him and helped him rise to his paws. "Don't feel bad. This just might not be your game," she sympathized gently.

Swifttail and Sorrel snickered and Birch narrowed his eyes. "Oh, yeah?" He looked at the ball and concentrated hard. The ball suddenly rose and levitated toward Swifttail. Birch dropped it and it bounced on Swifttail's nose, causing his eyes to water. He leaped back and shook his head madly. 

“Not fair," snapped Swifttail as he lashed his tail while Halftail sat up with surprise glittering in his eyes. 

“Kanan," called Halftail in a small hiss. Kanan excused himself from speaking with Hera before he strode over to Halftail and kneeled down beside him.

“What do you need, Halftail," inquired Kanan before he finally sat since he sensed that Halftail would have a lot to say. 

Halftail pointed a paw toward Birch. "He just lifted the ball with his mind. I could sense the force with him when he did so," he whispered.

Kanan's eyebrows raised. "So you're saying that he's force sensitive?"

Halftail narrowed his eyes to slits. "Animals have a ten times more of a chance of being force sensitive than humans. However, they usually have a parent, grandparent, or some type of relative with connection to the force.”

Halftail held his breath again as Adler lifted it with her mind and thrust it toward Sorrel. She reared on her hind legs and battered it back toward Adler and Swifttail. Swifttail caught it in his teeth before Molis slammed into him and knocked it from him. "You're going to have to try harder than that," Molis scoffed as he kicked it forward with Sorrel and Adler darting after him. 

“Their family died," pointed out Kanan as he stroked his beard thoughtfully. "It wouldn't be respectful to ask and they may not know."

Halftail lashed his tail as he saw Birch sit and lick his paw before he drew it over his ear. He knew that Birch could never be trained as a Jedi because of his injury. It would be way too rigorous for him and it could cause him to be even more injured. He may be able to learn some basic techniques since he was a healer. He was useful, but not as a Jedi.

Now Adler she was spunky. She caught onto everything that anyone taught her and she was willing to teach Swifttail, Sorrel, or Birch anything that she learned from Halftail or Molis. She was older, but there had been cases of much older ones being trained as Jedi. Thought swirled in his head and, for once, he wished that his mind quiet.

“Would you like to play, Halftail," inquired Adler as she came over, panting madly as her tongue lolled from her mouth and between her teeth.

Halftail thought for a moment. He knew that it would probably be good for him to play with the kits. Perhaps he could press Birch and Adler to use the force when they didn't mean to. "Yeah, I'll play," he answered as he strode forward, getting used to the constant movement of the Ghost when it was in hyperspace or just flying.

“Halftail's playing, everyone," announced Adler over her shoulder as Sorrel and Swifttail wrestled for the ball while Birch watched with amusement glowing his eyes. 

Sorrel released the ball from her mouth while Swifttail kicked it toward his father. Halftail lifted a paw and stopped it easily. He picked it up and purred. "It's coming for you, Birch," he called as he thrust it forward.

Birch lifted a paw gingerly, but he knew that he wasn't going to be able to hit it. Instead, he closed his eyes and stopped the ball with the force. Sorrel and Swifttail cheered, wondering who it would win. He opened one of his eyes before he threw it to his sister. Adler caught it with the force before she looked over to Swifttail. She threw it with the force and Swifttail bobbed it with his muzzle before it flew over to Halftail.

He could have easily caught it, but he was so shocked at Birch and Adler that it rolled away. "You missed it," panted Molis as he darted forward with Zeb and Chopper wanting to join the game as well. 

Halftail shook his head to clear it. "Sorry," he apologized as he shook his head to clear it. "I wasn't ready."

“Throw it to me," Sorrel called as she lashed her tail. "I'm ready. I'm ready!"

Kanan chuckled as he picked up the ball. "Are you ready, Sorrel?" 

Sorrel nodded vigorously and waited as Kanan threw it. He threw it up and into the hallway that led to the rooms. Sorrel purred warmly as she hustled up the ladder, sniffing as she tried to find the ball. 

“Why don't you go and help her, Swifttail," offered Halftail as he looked to his son. He really just wanted an excuse to speak to Adler and Birch alone.

Swifttail nodded eagerly and he darted forward. "I'm coming, Sorrel! I bet that I can find it before you," he taunted, his voice carrying.

Once Halftail watched Molis, Zeb, and Chopper all rushing forward while Sabine tried to stop them, he turned to Adler and Birch. "Did you know that you could do that?"

“Do what," inquired Adler as she blinked her eyes, feigning cluelessness.

Birch stretched out almost painfully. "Did you see something strange, Halftail,” he yawned as he arched his back before he limped beside his sister.

Halftail purred at how silky the littermates could be. "You don't know who you're talking to," murmured Halftail, just as smooth as they had replied. 

Kanan looked down to them. "Did you ever think why we are rebels and so against the Empire," he inquired as he kneeled down to be eye level with the brother and sister.

Birch licked his teeth. "Show us," he nearly demanded as he lowered his head into his shoulders.

Halftail wasn't about to argue. He let out a breath before he looked to what he could pick up. He realized that Chopper would probably be the best option. He concentrated hard and began to lift Chopper. Chopper began to make noises and beeps before Halftail dropped him on Zeb.

“Chopper," snarled Zeb as he turned and launched himself at Chopper.

The small group laughed while Birch and Adler dipped their heads. "So you are a Jedi," meowed Adler a bit in surprise, but not as surprised as Halftail thought she would be. 

Halftail dipped his head. "Me, as well as Kanan. We were lucky to survive Order 66. Not many Jedi can say that."

Birch narrowed his eyes a bit. "Not bad for a cougar. Our Mother said that only the Jedi that didn't have strong ties with the clones survived.”

Halftail snorted in amusement. "Sometimes it was just pure luck, if you ask me.”

Kanan suddenly stepped forward. "Whatever it was, we're here now and I have a feeling there are more of those like you who have some Jedi attributes, but can't be trained as Jedi."

Adler allowed a growl to roll in her throat. "Are you suggesting because my brother is lame?”

“That's one reason," answered Halftail reluctantly, but to his surprise, Birch didn't cower. He raised his head proudly. "Also, you two are older and have a lot of street smarts and have been trained as a street cat. You know things that are both Jedi and cat."

“A mix of a black panther and a lynx,” purred Birch as he puffed out his chest in pride. "Best of both breeds."

Halftail couldn't deny that as he dipped his head. "Was your Mother force sensitive as well?"

Adler's eyes glowed. "Yes, she was. She was always powerful and had the spunk of a Jedi. Too bad that you two won't be able to meet her."

“Hey, we found the ball," called Swifttail as he started forward with the ball held tightly in his jaws. Sorrel romped after him, trying to paw the ball away from Swifttail, but Swifttail turned his head away so it was just out of reach.

“What took you so long," taunted Zeb as he looked upward and jumped before he plucked the ball from Swifttail's mouth and threw it. He laughed before it slammed into the side of Kanan's face, just below the jaw. "Oops.”

Kanan let out a growl before he picked up the ball and thrust it at Zeb, using the force to navigate it. Halftail purred before he noticed Swifttail stalking forward, targeting the stub of his tail. He waited until Swifttail leaped before he swiped it away and his son landed on nothing to his disappointment. 

“If you keep your paws tucked in more to your stomach it should make you quieter," explained Halftail as he turned to look at his son. He demonstrated before he nodded to Swifttail. "Now you try."

Swifttail lowered down and tucked his paws under his stomach and took a silent step forward. His eyes glowed before Halftail lowered to whisper in his ears. "I'll give you my dessert tonight if you sneak up on Molis and leap on his tail."

Swifttail's eyes glowed as he looked at Molis, who was sitting with his tail trailing behind him. He purred as he stalked forward, his tail hovering a bit over the ground. His mouth was gaped open just a bit and he listened as Molis speak with Sabine. Sabine saw Swifttail, but to his relief, she didn't say anything. 

Swifttail leaped and sunk his claws into Molis's tail and wrapped his teeth around it. Molis yelped in surprise as he rushed to his paws, Swifttail, hanging from his tail. Molis turned and the whole crew burst out laughing. Molis allowed a growl to roll in his throat, but he would never harm Swifttail. "Very funny," he muttered as he looked to Halftail. "I assume that this was your idea?"

Halftail wasn't about to take all the credit. However, he was enjoying this too much at the moment. "Father and son teams are the best," he purred as Swifttail let go and trotted over to Halftail. They touched noses and Swifttail's heart ached in joy. His father was actually spending time with him!

“Looks like we have some good hunters," commented Sabine as she crossed her arms over her chest. “Those will come in handy in tracking the Empire.”

Adler let out a growl as she swiped a paw across the air. "I can smell Empire scum a mile away," she boasted before she looked to her brother. "And you can too!"

Birch licked his paw bashfully. "So what? It's not like I can track it or anything," he pointed out as he swished his tail. "Come on, Swifttail, let's do some more herb recognition."

Swifttail's tail drooped as he nodded. "Okay, Birch." With that he tumbled forward after his mentor. 

Halftail watched him go, a longing sensation in his heart as he wished that he could teach him all of the important things that Birch did. However, Halftail wasn't a healer. He knew some healing herbs, but Birch knew much more. A small sigh escaped him, despite himself.

“Incoming," Hera suddenly yelled as red lights and sirens began to flash through the Ghost.

“What's happening," cried Adler as the ship began to turn on it's side. Halftail yowled as he fell with his shoulder slamming against the wall. Kanan tried to use the force to keep himself steady, but Zeb rolled into him, followed by Chopper. 

“I could really use some guns," called Hera as they made another hard bank turn in the other direction. Halftail didn't even fight it. He let himself go while Molis and Adler crashed into him, thrusting him into the wall of the ship while he struggled to breathe.

Kanan managed to leap upward and he looked down at the fumbling crew. "I'm on it," he called as he rushed to the guns. Halftail wanted to help him, but he was having enough trouble as it was. 

Suddenly, the ship rocked once more and more alarms sounded. "What was that," panted Adler as her eyes stretched wide in horror.

Halftail's mouth went dry. "Shots. They've hit us!" His voice traveled and his stomach tensed inside him of him and, for a heartbeat, he thought he was going to be sick.

However, he gave his head a firm shake to will the feeling away. He had been shot out and had even crash landed with his Master before. His son hadn't been on board then, though. He growled as he sprang forward, pushing against Sabine to give himself some leverage. He flipped up on the main hallway and his paws lurched as the ground moved once more thanks to Hera.

Hera looked backwards. "Oh thank goodness! Halftail, I need you," she called urgently.

Halftail certainly wasn't a pilot, but he knew that he could help, to a certain extent. "O-Okay," he stammered as he rushed forward, keeping his claws thrust out so that he had some leverage on the ship that kept moving madly. "What do you need me to do?"

“I need you to steer while I get Chopper up here to help with the rear guns," she answered as she diverted steering to the copilot. 

Halftail felt his mind go blank and his paws begin to twitch. "What?!"

“Just for a few seconds. I have faith in you," called Hera as she disappeared from sight.

Halftail didn't have faith in himself. Weakly, he grasped the controls and steering. He whimpered as he saw two Tiefighters coming in for a closer look. He had no guns on the front and he felt utterly defenseless. His fur stood on end as he leaned forward to speak through the coms. "Kanan. I could really use some blowing up right now!"

As if on cue, the TIE right in front of him blew up. Halftail tipped in his in thanks, despite that Kanan couldn't see him. The other one, however, brushed the side of the ship and Halftail could see fire. That certainly wasn't a good sign. He turned the ship 180 degrease and his heart plummeted as he saw at least seven more. 

“This isn't good," he muttered to himself as he turned his original way before he flipped the ship upside down.

He heard Zeb snarl toward him. "What was that for?! The point is to keep us on our feet, not our backs."

Halftail didn't have a smart answer for him right now. Instead, he sped forward and tried to shake them. It didn’t seem to work, but he had to try something. "Release the debris," he suggested, hoping that someone would be able to hear him. 

To his relief, he heard Adler speak up. "Halftail said to release some debris. That might cause a reck," she meowed as he heard her prance around. "What can we toss out of here?"

Before they could even try it, a missile was released and slammed into the side of the Ghost. Halftail gasped as the controls shut off and what was working, wasn't helping. His head twisted around madly and his eyes darkened. He angled them toward a planet that he had never seen before. "We're coming in hot.” he announced through the comm as he struggled not to enter the atmosphere. They were already on fire, but he didn't need anymore of a blaze. 

“Tell me something I don't know," muttered Hera as she struggled to push Chopper up and toward the back controls. 

Halftail was immensely grateful that she was back. "Thank Starbound," he breathed as he shifted controls back to her, but there was no denying it, they were going to crash.

“Everyone, buckle up," Hera instructed as she flipped some switches that still worked. Halftail had no idea what they were supposed to do, but he trusted her. 

He buckled himself up, but another thought flashed through his mind. Swifttail! He looked around madly, quickly realizing tht Swifttail wasn't going to be behind him.

Hera looked over and narrowed her eyes. "Halftail, face forward," she ordered.

Halftail reluctantly obeyed and trees flashed through his vision before everything went black.


	22. Is Everyone Okay?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Aftermath from the crash landing of the Ghost doesn’t leave everyone unscathed.

When Halftail opened his eyes, he saw a black figure trying to unfasten his seatbelt. His first response was to lash out, but a hand rested on his arm. "It's....me....Halftail," the voice wheezed.

Halftail realized that it was Kanan. He obeyed as Kanan undid his seatbelt. He flew forward on the front glass, struggling to he push himself weakly to his paws. He realized that he was burned and his whiskers were singed, causing pain to sear through his body. His attention wasn’t on himself or on his wounds. He was more worried about everyone else. "Are you okay," he wondered, looking at Kanan.

Kanan let out a cough. "I will be, but we have to get out of here. We have to put out the fire from the outside," he answered as he grasped Halftail's scruff and hauled him upward.

The ship was at a strange angle and it was difficult to maneuver through everything. Every step was dangerous but Halftail was able to use his taunt muscles and long claws to his advantage. It would be easier for him to make his way than anyone else. He managed to find a small opening from one of the doors and pushed through. 

He landed in a thick pile of vines and it slightly jolted him. He looked around, but he couldn't see anyone else. "Hera? Adler? Molis? Swifttail?!"

Kanan leaped beside him and tried to calm him. "It's okay. They're safe. They're in a cave not far from here. You were the hardest to get at."

Halftail's mind whirled. "Is everyone alright?" Kanan didn't answer the question. Rage spilled in Halftail. "Is everyone alright?"

Kanan just nudged Halftail's shoulder a bit. "I'll show you where they are. You'll feel much better once you get cleaned up," he murmured briskly. Halftail narrowed his eyes, knowing that something was wrong. A cold feeling seeped through him as he forced himself to follow Kanan.

After walking for a while, Halftail saw a small cave. Molis was at the entrance, probably guarding and watching to make sure no creatures got an ideas. Once he saw Halftail, he rushed to him and touched noses with him. "Thank Starbound that you're alright! I thought you were lost in the flames but Kanan wouldn’t rest until he found you. I knew that he would find you!”

Halftail looked up to Kanan and cleared his throat. "Er yes, I suppose his did."

Molis shook his head. "There's a small pool we can clean you and your burns up," he barked as he got behind Halftail and forced him forward with a firm push. Halftail lumbered forward, his eyes adjusting to the darkness in the cave.

He saw Hera first, who was wetting a leaf and pressing it against Zeb's arm. He had a large gash that seemed painful and irritated by the fire and smoke. He grimaced in pain as Hera gingerly tried to soothe his wounds while murmuring gently. 

“We took a pretty big hit," confessed Molis as he looked up to Halftail. "But we'll be alright."

“Where's Swifttail," Halftail managed to choke out, but just doing that was painful. He didn't see him with anyone and panic flared in him. "Where's my son?!" He turned to face Molis and Molis stood rigid in fear of Halftail.

Kanan pointed a finger past Zeb and Sabine. Halftail padded forward, but Sabine kept her gaze downcast and tears fell from her eyes. He pushed forward, although his paws felt like stone. He pushed his head forward and saw Adler, Birch, and Swifttail clustered around the limp and unmoving figure of Sorrel. 

Halftail rushed forward, his eyes wide. "W-What," he gasped as he lowered down and touched his nose to Sorrel's neck, feeling no pulse. "What, what, what..." He couldn't actually ask the question. It was too painful.

Molis strode to Halftail's side. "She died in the explosion and fire," he confessed, his voice gentle, but somber in grief. He seemed to be able to talk well in situations like this, so Halftail knew he must have been through quite a few deaths. 

Halftail's mouth gaped open as he saw Swifttail sitting beside her, nearly sobbing. "Are you alright," he croaked out as he saw a few intense burns on Swifttail's shoulders and haunches. 

“She saved me," Swifttail cried as tears streamed down his face. "She saved me from the explosion."

“What do you mean," pressed Adler as she lifted her eyes. Tears shone in them, but she wasn't about to let them fall. She had lost so much and she had learned to grieve silently.

“Birch and I went into his room to do some herb recognition and she followed us. When the TIEs attacked and the explosion hit, she leaped in front of me so that I wouldn't get any force of the fire," he croaked before a sob welled in his throat. "She died because of me!”

Halftail shook his head madly. "She was going die anyway if she was there. She knew that, so she wanted to make sure you weren't injured," Halftail told his son sternly, but Swifttail was barely listening.

His eyes darted around madly. "Sorrel died because of me!"

Birch turned to Swifttail, and Halftail was a bit taken back. Almost all of his fur was singed and deep burns were all though his body. No doubt he had tried to protect both Sorrel and Swifttail. His hind, limp leg was the worst. There was almost no hair left on it while it was bloody and swollen. However, he held his composure and he seemed to want to help everyone else except himself. 

“She did not die because of you. She died because of the Empire," corrected Birch in a raspy and troubled tone. Clearly he doubted what he was saying. 

Swifttail hung his head, tears streaming down his face. "She was my friend. She was my friend," he kept repeating as sobs shook his small frame.

Halftail looked to Birch who sighed heavily. Halftail lowered down to Sorrel's level and licked her cheek. "Thank you for protecting my son," he whispered in her ear. "I promise to honor your memory and your dedication to the crew. Everyone on here loved you, know that in Starbound."

Once he was finished, he saw Sabine wanted a turn to hold Sorrel for the last time. Halftail stepped aside before Hera motioned for Swifttail. "It's your turn," she murmured gently, not wanting to force him, but he needed medical treatment as soon as possible.

Swifttail dragged himself forward, his head lowered into his shoulders. Hera smiled timidly at Halftail and Halftail nosed Adler toward Kanan. "He'll wash you off and Birch and I will be there in one heartbeat," he assured her.

Adler nodded as she strode forward, looking grief stricken and almost numb. Halftail hated seeing them like this. Sorrel hadn't deserved to die and no one deserved to be injured.

Halftail looked back to Birch who was eyeing Sorrel with something that Halftail hadn't expected, affection. "You loved her," he meowed in surprise as he drew back, his whiskers twitching. 

Birch nearly jumped and his eyes widened. "I, what, no!"

However, his body language said it all. Halftail drew closer to him. "You loved her," he repeated as he curled his tail around his burned paws. He swore that the pads were singed off. "Don't try and argue with me. Remember, I was once in love as well and I lost my mate."

Birch shook his head. "We weren't mates. We weren't even courting. I just had feelings for her that I hadn't expressed," he confessed as he watched Sabine rock Sorrel as she sobbed into her fur. "Now I wish that I had expressed them."

Halftail was grateful that he and Bine had expressed their feelings for each other right away. They didn't waste any time that could have been spent together. He couldn't imagine how Birch felt. "It's not too late, you know."

Birch growled and bared his teeth a bit. "She's dead, Halftail, in case you haven't noticed," he reported curtly, his teeth beginning to click together.

Halftail drew back a bit. "There is still Starbound. You will see her again there," he pointed out as he rose to his paws and blinked his eyes. "There, love is eternal."

He didn't give Birch a chance to answer. He turned and forced himself over to the small pool. He lowered to it and thrust a paw in. He cupped the water a bit and let it trickle through his burning and itchy pelt. His pelt was bare in places and where it wasn't bare, the fur was singed. He had no idea how long it would take the fur to grow back or if it would grow back the same. He really didn't need his looks anymore, but he already lost half his tail, he didn't need to lose his fur too.

“You're going to need more than water on that," pointed out Molis as he lowered to the pool and began to drink.

Halftail cringed. "We're washing ourselves off in that water," he muttered as he wrinkled his nose at Molis.

Molis shrugged. "Do you see anywhere else for me to drink," he reported as he laid down and puffed out his gorgeous and unharmed pelt. "No. So, I will drink here."

Halftail shrugged as he continued bathing himself and as soon as the water touched the open wounds he had to stop himself from yowling. It was if fire was spreading through him.

He heard a huff and saw that it was Birch. He turned and picked up a large leaf Hera was using. "This will work better." He chewed up the leaf into a pulp before he soaked it in water. He then pressed it into Halftail's wounds and Halftail felt like he was one bit wound.

“That will drain all of the excess blood and anything else. Tomorrow I'll take them out and find some herbs to actually help," meowed Birch before he turned to Swifttail with the nasty and fiery burns on his shoulders and haunches.

Halftail wanted to tell him to stop and deal with his own wounds, but he knew that Birch wouldn't listen, at least not until everyone else was taken care of. He slumped by the pool and looked at his reflection while everyone else bustled around him. Once he looked in, he swore he saw Bine and Sorrel on either side of him, purring and laughing.

In rage, he plunged a paw into the water and splashed himself and Kanan. "What was that for," muttered Kanan as he drew back, his beard soaked.

Halftail sighed. "I'm sorry. I just saw something that I didn't like."

Kanan's eyes turned sympathetic. "We've had a lot of loss in such a short period of time," he pointed out as he sat back and shook his wet hair.

“That's what happens when you let people into your life and heart," grumbled Halftail briskly. "When they're taken away from you it hurts worse than claws to the heart."

Kanan stretched out a hand and rubbed it between Halftail's ears where they weren’t burnt. "It will all be worth it someday, buddy, I promise."

Halftail lashed his tail. "Don't make promises you can't keep."


	23. Wild Instincts

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> When times are tough, the wild instincts of Halftail and his crew take over to survive.

Halftail awoke the next day and realized that Molis was still standing watch. He rose to his paws and knew that he should relieve him. He strode to his friend's side and the smell of prey enticed him. He had been having awful rations and other despicable food that they had managed to find. However, when he was younger, he knew that fresh prey had been delectable. He missed that.

“You smell it too," commented Molis with bright eyes.

Halftail gave a nod. "Oh yeah." A thought popped into his head no matter how foolish. "Do you want to hunt with me?"

Molis rose to his own paws and shook out his pelt. "It was be my pleasure," he rumbled before he turned and saw Adler sitting with her paws tucked under her chin. "Do you think we should bring Adler?"'

Halftail knew that she was still grieving for Sorrel and that could make her predictable. However, she was still an excellent hunter. He gave a nod before he stalked forward as quietly as possible, trying not to wake up anyone else. He lowered down and pushed his nose against her cheek. "Adler. Adler wake up," he breathed in her ear.

Adler twitched her ear before she looked up at Halftail. "Halftail," she mumbled sleepily. "Do you need something?"

He nodded. "Molis and I are going hunting. We were wondering if you wanted to join us," he invited as Molis gave a vigorous nod.

Adler couldn't help but purr. "Yes, please!" She darted to her paws, a new spring in her step. She lumbered forward and Halftail followed, pleased that she seemed to be a little happier now.

Halftail looked to Molis. "You lead since you have the best sense of smell," he instructed.

Molis rumbled in delight before he set off with Halftail and Adler right behind. They weren't the most impressive hunting party, but they would have to do. It wasn't long before Molis found a large creature with antlers on it's head and a few spikes down it's neck for protection from predators. 

“Be careful," whispered Molis as he went on one side of it while Halftail went right in front. Adler went behind and once everyone was ready she let out a snarl and surged forward. She leaped with claws outstretched and she sunk her claws and teeth into the creature’s haunch.

The creature cried out in agony as it darted forward. Halftail was ready and he jumped, latching onto the creature’s neck. His claws dug in deep as he felt flesh slice from under him. Molis was on the other side and he made the creature stumble by snapping vigorously at the creature’s legs. Once the creature fell, Halftail dodged the spikes and sunk his teeth into the neck once more, finding the windpipe quickly. Halftail made quick work in snapping the windpipe easily under his strong jaws. He drew back with blood dripping from his muzzle. He threw his head back as he let out a yowl of glee. Molis howled back with his back arching. 

“Great job," praised Halftail as he looked at Adler. "Now that's how a pride hunts!”

Adler puffed out her fur. "I can't wait to tell Birch that I hunted with a pride," she boasted before she eyed the creature with worried eyes. "How are we going to take this back to the cave?"

Halftail realized that she had a point. Molis seemed to have a plan, though. He strode over to the haunch and began tearing. "We'll take as much as we can back and we'll leave the rest for whatever scavengers are here as a peace offering. Whether or not they take it is another matter."

Halftail and Molis nodded while Halftail tore a chunk from the shoulder and Adler from the stomach. She managed to grab the intestines and the liver. They lumbered back to the cave and, by this time, most of the crew was awake, except for Birch and Swifttail. 

“What is that," cried Sabine as she eyed the intestines and liver in horror.

Halftail dropped his chunk of flesh from the shoulder of the creature and tilted his head in curiosity. "Breakfast," he answered as he pushed it toward her.

She turned her head away. "I think I'm going to be sick."

“Halftail, we can't eat that," argued Hera as she eyed the meat with equal disgust. "We have to have cooked food, but the thought was nice."

Molis dropped his prey and looked to Zeb. "You have matches. All you need is some branches and kindling and you'll have a fire," he pointed out as he licked the blood that kept dripping from his muzzle. "Sabine and Hera can do that while the rest of us take off chunks that we can actually cook."

Sabine and Hera didn't need to be told twice. They didn't want anything to do with the bloody mess that the three animals had brought back. Kanan really didn't want to look or touch it either, but he wasn't about to say anything since it would be incredibly rude to turn down their prey.

“Now this is how food should be caught. What do you think everything you eat is," snorted Adler as she grasped the liver in her teeth, puncturing it a bit.

Halftail had to admit it was strange that out of everything she wanted the liver. Usually young chose to eat the liver because it was the fattiest part and helped them grow. "What's the liver for? Do you like liver?"

Adler shook her head as she looked over to Sorrel's body that they hadn't buried yet. "It's for Sorrelspeck," she answered with dull eyes.

“Sorrelspeck," echoed Molis in surprise as he tried to groom the blood from his muzzle from the hunt. "Why are you calling her by an ancient name." 

Adler smiled. "Because that's what she wanted and what she deserved," she answered as she dropped the liver outside the den. "When we bury her, I want her buried with the liver."

Halftail didn't argue, but Kanan and Zeb seemed a bit taken back. "Don't bury me with a liver," whispered Zeb to Kanan. Halftail turned on them both and they looked away with Halftail grinning in amusement. Perhaps he was fiercer then he gave himself credit for. 

Once Hera and Sabine returned, they dropped the kindling in the cave. Chopper gave some harsh beeps, but Halftail hissed to silence him. Birch and Swifttail were still asleep. 

Zeb lit the kindling and it glowed with fire. Halftail used some of the larger branches and pulled thin layers of meat from the shoulder. He gave a stick to everyone who needed their meat to be cooked. Halftail divided up the intestines and took two long strands over to Birch and Swifttail. 

He dropped one at Birch’s paws and it grazed his muzzle. He lifted his head and his eyes seemed hazy and milky. He tilted his head. "Thank you, Halftail. It's been a long time since I've had fresh-kill," he wheezed as he lowered his head and sunk his teeth into the intestines. He tore a chunk off before he passed it over to Halftail. "You need to eat too."

He pushed it back to Birch. "You eat it. You need it more than I do. Besides, Molis has some thigh for me."

Before Birch could say anything Halftail moved to his son. He dropped some intestine aside, but what he really wanted was to talk to his son. He nuzzled his cheek gently. "Swifttail. Swifttail, wake up," he whispered as he licked his son's cheek.

Swifttail groaned as he lifted his head a bit. "Dad? It is morning already," he asked as he raised as paw and rubbed it against his eyes. 

Halftail purred. "Yeah, it is," he chuckled as he flicked his ears. "You've slept for a while now. I brought you something to eat." He pushed the intestine over to Swifttail. Swifttail sniffed it, but he pushed it away, growling a bit. 

“I'm not hungry," Swifttail muttered as he looked away.

Halftail growled back. “You have to eat," he pointed out as he lashed his tail.

“I'm not hungry," echoed Swifttail as he sighed heavily. "I'm just not hungry." Tears shown in his eyes and Halftail saw his grief.

Halftail sighed as his head nodded slowly. "I know that you're grieving for Sorrel, but it's not your fault, I promise. I would be the first one to tell you," he pressed, but he could tell that Swifttail wasn't listening to him.

Eventually, Halftail sunk his teeth into Swifttail's scruff and hauled him to his paws. "Get up," he announced and Swifttail looked at him like he was crazy. "Get up!"

Swifttail obeyed, his head bowed. "Why? Are you going to force me to eat?"

Halftail shook his head. "No. We're going for a walk, just you and me," he answered as he kinked his tail over his back. "Now let's go."

Swifttail reluctantly followed. Halftail told Kanan what he was doing before nudging Swifttail forward. He forced Swifttail into the forest and he looked on in despair as Swifttail grimaced at the thought of wild life. This was where Halftail had been born and he was grateful to be back to.

“Why are we doing this," Swifttail finally asked as he lifted a paw and shook a spiderweb from it. 

Halftail's face. "I thought that you might want to see the forest, to stretch your legs a little," he answered as he looked over to his son. "Have you ever been in a forest like this?"

“Not in a long time," answered Swfittail. "And it didn't smell like this."'

Halftail chuckled. "This is more of a dry jungle. This is exactly where I came from," he purred as he looked around madly for a tree to climb. When he finally found one, he pushed Swifttail towards it. "Do you remember when you were younger and all you wanted to do was climb?"

Swifttail reluctantly grasped ahold of the trunk of the tree and began to climb, but it was clear that he didn't want to. "It was a long time ago," he argued before Halftail surpassed him. “How long do we have to be here?”

Halftail landed on a thick branch and felt the wind slice through his fur. The heat and the humidity made him feel right at home. He had gotten used to cooler temperatures, but not out of choice. Jedi life had dictated where he went and where he lived for him. He climbed higher and scented the damp leaves that reminded him of thick vegetation. "Not too long. You just need to let your true instincts take over. The snow leopard and cougar take over."

Swifttail didn't seem convinced, but he started to climb to his father’s height. "You really used to live here and like it," he muttered with a sniff.

Halftail cuffed Swifttail's ear. "That's right! Before I lost half my tail I could scale a tree in heartbeats. Now it takes me a little longer," he confessed as everything seemed a bit dizzying and lost around him.

Swifttail didn't seem to mind that he was slower than Halftail. "Do you ever wish that you and Mother had settled here with me and my littermates."

Halftail really hadn't thought about that. "Maybe sometimes," he answered as he climbed the highest he could go. "But what's done is done and you're here now, aren't you?"

Swifttail purred as he suddenly looked down at something black and bubbling. "What's that," he inquired as he pointed at it.

Halftail narrowed his eyes to look where his son had pointed. "I have no idea. It's strange the way it bubbles up like that," he grimaced.

“Well I want to get a closer look," demanded Swifttail as he started down the tree.

Something stirred in Halftail's stomach. Swifttail was barely fit to climb the tree, let alone play with something new like that. "Swifttail, wait," he called as he unhooked his claws from the tree and started down, trying to be swift about it, but careful at the same time.

It was took late. Swifttail wasn't listening. He was too busy looking at the strange black stuff. He grazed a paw over it and found that it was warm. He pushed his paw into it, but when he tried to draw it back, the black ooze wouldn't let him. He whimpered in surprise as he slipped forward, his whole body seeming to swim in it.

“Dad, help," cried Swifttail as the strange black stuff surged over his body and some even got into his mouth and nose. "I can't get out!”

Halftail darted forward, but stopped at the edge. He didn't want to plunge in. If he got stuck then who would save him and Swifttail? However, he really didn't see an alternate way. Words were caught in his throat and he shook his head a bit to clear it. "Hang on, Swifttail. I'll get you out," he assured, but he had no way to do that. He didn't even know what that black stuff was.

“Stop where you are," rumbled a voice as an elderly tiger stepped from the bushes. His once pearly white stripped pelt was now silver and his orange was faded and patchy in most places. He was still large, very large, with canine teeth that could tears into a kit like Swifttail. However, his eyes were milky and his voice ragged at best. "Don't touch it! Or it'll swallow you too!"

Halftail took a step back, too fearful to be threatening. The tiger looked at Swifttail, who was still struggling and thrashing his paws madly. “Stop moving," he ordered Swifttail and, surprisingly, Swifttail listened. He stopped thrashing and took in a few quick gulps of air. "Now keep breathing like that and when we toss a vine to you, catch it and don't let go."

“Where are we going to find a vine strong enough to get Swifttail out," fretted Halftail, his voice rising like a frightened kit. He had nearly lost Swifttail twice in the course of two days!

The tiger let a growl roll in his deep throat. "The vines here are unnaturally strong. They can hold me, if we needed to," he rasped as he turned his head and picked up a vine between his teeth, however some were missing. He threw the vine toward Swifttail. Swifttail caught it in his muzzle, panic showing in his eyes.

“Pull," ordered the tiger and Halftail obeyed. It was difficult, but they managed to pull Swifttail from the black and sticky pool. Once Swifttail was on the bank and safe, Halftail gave his ears a few quick licks.

Halftail purred once he knew that Swifttail was alright. "I can't thank you enough," he meowed to the tiger.

The elderly tiger dipped his head. "It was nothing," he assured as he gazed at the bubbly black substance. "It's tar by the way. Tar is wonderful if you're binding things, but not so great if you step into it. I lost a littermate to it."

Halftail gazed at it. Binding? Perhaps they could use it on their ship. "I'm Halftail by the way, this is my son, Swifttail," Halftail introduced.

The tiger turned to Halftail and tried to dip his head, but it hurt the tiger too much, so it was more like a petty wave of his head. "Cats around me call me Shadow," he meowed as his tail lashed as much as it could. 

Halftail let out a breath. "Thank you again, Shadow. If you hadn't have shown up, my son would be dead right now."

“You don't know that," muttered Swifttail as he stood shakily.

Shadow opened his mouth and hissed a bit. "You'd do well to listen to your father in the future, Swifttail. Tar isn't something to be messed with."

Swifttail ducked behind Halftail in embarrassment and Halftail was grateful to Shadow for scaring him a bit. Another thought seemed to jump into Halftail's head. "You said that tar is good for binding things?"


	24. Ancient Names

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The time to leave has come, but there are somethings that the crew will take with them.

Three days later, the Ghost was as good as new, sort of. The holes in the ship were covered in tar and then covered in another thick substance that Shadow had assured them wouldn't catch on fire. Shadow even knew a few herbs for burns and smoke lung as he called it since Adler couldn't stop coughing since the fire.

In return for Shadow’s help, Molis and Halftail had hunted for Shadow and caught him a nice bull creature that Shadow had gratefully excepted. Now, they were almost on their way, but Adler still wouldn't leave without a proper burial of Sorrel. So, everyone gathered and listened to what Adler had to say.

“You were a fantastic friend and I loved how we used to play and spar together. I'm very much going to miss you and I think that you more than earned a name such as Sorrelspeck," she announced as she lowered her head and licked her friend between the ears once last time.

Halftail tilted his head to look at Molis. "Do you really think Sorrelspeck earned her ancient name," he inquired as he looked to Adler.

Adler plastered her ears against her head. "Of course I do! Why? You Don't?! You wolf-heart," she snapped as her lips drew back in a snarl.

Halftail shook his head. "I think that if she earned her name then so did you and Birch," he explained as Swifttail and Sabine nodded in agreement. Zeb just rolled his eyes while Kanan and Hera's eyes shown. Chopper just looked ready to get out of there, but Shadow seemed thoughtful.

“There are very few here who have that honor. The old ways are gone, but we can carry them on," Shadow breathed as he looked to Adler and Birch.

Halftail took a step forward, close to Sorrel. "I say this over the body of Sorrelspeck. She has earned her ancient name so now I believe it's time for Adler and Birch to have that honor. Adler, from this heartbeat on you shall be known as Adlerleaf! Birch, from this moment you shall be known as Birchfoot! We are honored to have such wonderful crew members against us to hunt the Empire!”

Both purred before Swifttail strode over to Shadow. "You said that few have that honor, right," he inquired with his ears and whiskers twitching.

Shadow dipped his head. "That's right, little one," he meowed with gentle eyes. "Why?"

“All those in favor of giving Shadow an ancient name say I," shouted Swifttail as he lifted his tail, indicating that he said yes.

“I," purred Halftail as Adlerleaf’s and Birchfoot's mews echoed after his. Kanan and Hera actually joined in. Molis did as well, but he had to nearly push Zeb off his feet to get him to answer. They just didn't understand animal customs or cultures and Halftail didn't expect them too. However, support was nice. Chopper even joined in, but not before he nearly electrocuted Sabine for agreeing.

Swifttail smiled. "Then I think you should be known as Shadowhunter," he answered as he gazed at Shadow's powerful muscles, despite his older age. 

Shadowhunter lowered down as much as he could and touched his nose to Swifttail's ear. "I like that name a lot," he wheezed painfully as his usual milky eyes glowed. "Thank you, Swifttail."

Swifttail reared on his hind legs to press his nose against Shadowhunter's chest. Shadowhunter hunkered down and wrapped a paw around him. Once Swifttail drew back he looked toward the Ghost. "Are you coming with us?"

Shadowhunter frowned and shook his head. "I'm afraid not. This forest is my home. I can't leave it, at least not yet," he confessed with gentle eyes.

Tears formed in Swifttail's eyes. "But I'll miss you," he argued.

Shadowhunter sighed heavily. "I know, but I know that I'll see you again someday. It might be soon, or it might not be," he explained as he licked Swifttail's ear.

“But who'll protect me from the tar and other things," argued Swifttail as his ears twitched in worry.

Shadowhunter lifted his head and looked toward Halftail. "Your father is good and strong and he loves you very much. Something tells me that he's going to protect you."

Swifttail brightened and sprang forward, touching his nose to Halftail's nose. Halftail purred before he pushed Swifttail toward the Ghost. "Could you make sure that no one touches Sorrelspeck’s grave,” pleaded Halftail.

Shadowhunter nodded his head before his claws jutted out. "No one will dare think of her as food," he assured as he let out a throaty growl.

Halftail returned it while Swifttail tried, but it just came out a squeak. "We'll work on that," assured Halftail as he pushed his head against his son's haunch and nudged him toward the Ghost. Everyone else was waiting to see if the tar and other substances that Shadowhunter had given them would actually work.

“Cross your anything," Hera told the crew as she started the engines. Miraculously, the Ghost lifted from the ground and Halftail felt the familiar drop in his stomach. He looked to his side, but realized that Swifttail wasn't with him.

He gasped before he saw him down below, looking out a window at Shadowhunter. He sighed as he strode after him, his pawsteps quiet and heart thumping in his chest. "You'll see him again," vowed Halftail as they began to draw further and further from Shadowhunter and the planet that Halftail had grown attached to in three days. 

“When," whimpered Swifttail as he turned away and growled to himself.

Halftail sighed. "I don't know when, but he said that you'd see him again. Do you think Shadowhunter would break his promise," he pressed.

Swifttail shook his head. "No, but-"

“Halftail," announced Birchfoot from up above. "I need to see to your wounds. Swifttail, you're next."

Halftail dipped his head to his son before he charged toward the ladder, scaling it easisly. He landed beside Birchfoot and, as they left the planet's atmosphere, he led Halftail into the back closet that he occupied as his room. Halftail forced himself in and saw that Birchfoot seemed to shine a bit more now, having an ancient name. However, it hadn't been the kindest of names.

Birchfoot extracted more chewed poultice from his deep burns before he began to speak to Halftail. "That was really amazing what you did, suggesting that Adderleaf and I have ancient names."

Halftail hadn't thought of it as amazing, more as something honest to do. "I'm sorry if your name is not what you wanted. I forgot about you leg and I-"

“Don't say another word," hushed Birchfoot as he looked over to Halftail, smiling. He then picked up some leaves and began chewing another poultice. "My leg is apart of me. I was born with it. I don't mind being named after it. After all, where do you think Birch came from?"

Halftail never had the guts to ask him. "I don't know," he mumbled as Birchfoot squeezed and spat some of the leaves into Halftail's wounds. Halftail gritted his teeth in pain. "I was afraid to ask."

Once Birchfoot had no herbs, left he shook his head to clear it. "I was named after my twisted leg like that of a birch tree. I never minded, I actually enjoyed it. It was something unique about me.”

Halftail was glad that he hadn't offended him. "I think that your wounds will be good in a few days, but nothing too harsh," he instructed as his tail tip twitched. "Can you send Swifttail in? He doesn't like me dealing with his wounds since he thinks that he knows about herbs."

“Not as much as you," chuckled Halftail as he rose to his paws, feeling the sting of the herbs beginning to work. Once he strode from the door he saw Swifttail was already waiting. "He's ready for you."

Once Swifttail entered, Halftail strode toward his and Kanan's room. He pushed it open and saw that his supplies were there. He desperately needed to take his meds since it had been a few days since he was allowed in the Ghost. He found a needle and injected it into himself, feeling his body calm a bit.

“You shouldn't go that long," commented Kanan behind him. 

Halftail sighed. "Yeah, I know, but I'm not dead yet," he chuckled as he withdrew the needle from this vein and threw it aside.

Kanan shook his head. "Born stubborn, die stubborn."

Halftail purred as he looked up to Kanan. "Thanks for tolerating all the commotion onboard," he murmured as he thought of all the animals running around. They had certainly come a far way from begin himself, Hera, Kanan and Bine. "They're young, but they're learning."

“I don't mind one bit," assured Kanan as he threw his arms up. "I'm very contempt on how things are. Besides, it makes things very interesting and fun here."

Halftail couldn't argue with that. "I'm sad that Shadowhunter couldn't come. Swifttail seemed to have a lot of attachment toward him."

Kanan smiled in understanding. "His ties are somewhere else. I know that they run deep like blood, but that name really helped him."

Halftail blinked his eyes, wondering what the next adventure with this crazy crew would be.


	25. Difficult Mission

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A few years have passed and things are just s difficult as ever.

A few years later

“Does everyone understand the plan," inquired Kanan as he lowered forward, using a hologram to explain everything.

Halftail's eyes narrowed. "This is a pretty large scale raid," he pointed out as his tail lashed and worry clawed at his belly. Besides, Swifttail was joining them.

“It's on Lathol," muttered Zeb as he looked toward Halftail. "All of our best raids are here. We get the best loot."

Halftail would never fully understand Zeb, but he was right. Lothal was the best place for a raid and they had been planning this one for moons. "Okay," he meowed as he looked toward Swifttail and Adlerleaf. They were also joining them on the raid while Birchfoot and Molis stayed behind with Hera and Chopper incase anything went array. 

“Are you nervous," inquired Birchfoot as he looked down to Swifttail, who worked his claws against the ground.

Swifttail looked up. He had grown immensely in the past years and his voice had deepened while his fur thickened. "Not at all," he lied and Halftail could see right through it. “Why should I be nervous?"

Birchfoot looked over to Molis. "Oh yeah, he's nervous," he purred as he rose to his shaky legs and forced himself forward on three legs. 

Molis dipped his head. "Good luck," he barked as he strode forward with his tail kinked over his back. "The last thing we need is more injuries for Birchfoot and Swifttail to fix. They've had their paws full."

“We'll be careful," assured Adlerleaf as she nodded to her brother. "This isn't our first raid, just our largest one."

Birchfoot didn't say anything, but Kanan rose to his feet and looked to the ones who were coming. "Is everyone who's coming ready?"

“Yes," announced Swifttail as he strode forward with Sabine and Zeb at his side. 

The hanger door from the Ghost opened and Kanan was the first one to jump out. It wasn't that far from the ground, but it was still a bit high enough so no one would see. Halftail was next and he landed expertly next to Kanan, the wind whipping a bit through his fur. He shook his pelt and let out a hiss as dust blasted him in the face. 

Swifttail landed beside him and he shook out his own pelt. "I forgot how much I hated this dusty planet," spat Swifttail as he shook his head. "Why can't we be somewhere with snow and ice!"

Adlerleaf landed a few paces away as she blinked her eyes. "I never had left Coruscant until you all arrived, but even I think it's a little hot, however it must be worse for a snow leopard."

Swifttail stuck his tongue out as he struggled to pant a bit. "I hope this is over quickly because I'd like to get out of here." Sabine and Zeb landed next and the ship flew away a bit. They would call Hera when they needed her.

They strode forward with Kanan and Halftail in the lead. Halftail scented the air and tasted the scent of the Empire; rancid, dark, and full of despair. They always swarmed Lothal this time of year and it made Halftail's pelt sweat and his ears twitch. 

When they were a bit in the city, Kanan turned to look at Halftail. "You need 'it' don't you," he whispered so that the rest of the crew could hear. 

Embarrassment washed over him. "Er yeah, I do," he confessed as he lashed his tail. "Coruscant and Lothal are the only places that I can find it, so I guess I'll be back."

Kanan turned his head. "I want Swifttail and Adlerleaf to go with you."

Halftail's fur spiked. "I can take care of myself," he reported, his voice rising and showing some suspicion.

Kanan raised a hand to try and calm Halftail. "I know, but there's also some guns in that sector that we can take in to sell. They keep the best by the medical supplies."

Halftail bit his cheek to keep from hissing something that he would regret at Kanan. "Alright," he finally sighed, his head shaking a bit. He flicked his tail over his back. "Swifttail, Adlerleaf, come with me."

They followed him without a complaint and they strode down the alleyways, tempted by the sweat smells of vender foods, but they didn't stop. Halftail led them to a more remote part of the city with the two behind him. Luckily, they didn't ask any questions and he was grateful. 

Once they were at the right building, Halftail pawed at it until he found the opening and pushed it open with a growl. Swifttail and Adlerleaf surged through and he leaped through, closing the door behind him.

“What are we looking for," inquired Swifttail as his eyes adjusted to the dim light that was lighting the building, barely. 

Halftail turned to look at them. "This is just for me. I need you two to guard the entrance and yowl if anyone comes in, okay," he meowed.

Adlerleaf and Swifttail exchanged a worried glance. "Are you sure you don't need backup," pressed Swifttail as his whiskers gave a worried twitch.

Halftail shook his head and tried to smile reassuringly. "I'm sure. You'll be much more help here, okay," he meowed as he touched his nose to Swifttail's ear.

Swifttail sighed heavily and dipped his head. "O-Okay. Be careful, Dad," he breathed as he took a step back and pressed a bit against Adlerleaf as they looked at the entrance with blazing eyes.

Halftail turned and surged forward. He had been to this place numerous times and he knew where everything was. There were so many different medical supplies, but the Empire wouldn’t allow anyone to use it. That doesn't mean that desperate people didn't steal them, but they usually did at the wrong time and they weren't as stealthy as Halftail was. Plus, he was desperate. Those who were desperate were even more dangerous than those who weren't. 

As he walked down the halls he felt another twitch in his tail. His tail began to lash back and forth madly. He growled under his breath in annoyance. It was happening and if he didn't get there soon, then his body would go into a full blown what Halftail liked to call 'an attack'. It had all happened a long time ago.


	26. Thieves!

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A plan to steal some weapons doesn’t go as planned when they come into contact with a group of misfits who are looking for the same thing.

Flashback

“Come on," urged Brist as he stood on his hind legs, turning a bit as his spotted tail lashed. "Stretching is very important, especially now."

A much younger Halftail, then Mietro, obeyed his Master despite the pain. He was trying desperately not to allow his body to overwhelm him, but it was difficult. The medication they had given him just made his irritable, tired, and nauseous. He wasn't about to tell his Master though, since he was embarrassed enough as it is.. He had no idea why anyone would want to have a Padawan with a seizure condition among other things.

Brist saw that his Padawan seemed a bit off, so he drew near and lowered back down on all fours. "Hey, are you alright, Mietro," he meowed gently.

Mietro was trying desperately not to allow it to consume him, but he was having difficulties and Brist saw it. Brist had taught him with the force to try and control it and usually it worked, paired with medication. However, something strange was happening with this new medication. 

“Let yourself twitch if it helps," meowed Brist as he sat down and neared Mietro. 

Mietro managed to shake his head. "You said it's not good to twitch," he argued as he tried to bite his tongue to stop himself. 

Brist's eyes softened. "I know that it hurts you not to twitch. Sometimes you have to and I know that. Especially now when you have the new medication that's a bit stronger than the original stuff."

Mietro stopped trying and he allowed himself to give into his full body tremors. His tail began to lash out of control while he began to hiss madly, his mouth opening to show his teeth. He even drew back with his head twitching to one side. Brist knew that when Mietro gave into the tremors how it was painful, especially if he tried to stop them.

Once the twitches and tremors died down, Mietro tried to relax a bit. However, something new began to happen. He lowered down and his body began to twitch and lift a bit as his back seemed to arch. Brist's eyes widened as Mietro began to try and nip the part of his body that was twitching. 

“Mietro, calm down," instructed Brist, but his voice showed the fear that he had for his Padawan. This certainly wasn't normal.

“I can't stop it," wailed Mietro as he watched his haunch began to twitch and he turned to swat a paw at it. Brist tried to force it down, but Mietro was pretty strong for a cougar and young one at that. 

Brist then watched in horror as Mietro's body relaxed before it tensed and began to shake with his eyes rolling back in his head as he collapsed in a heap. "Mietro. Mietro! Help! Someone, help," cried Brist as he grasped Mietro's shoulders, but the seizing didn't stop. 

It was then that the world went black for Mietro. 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Present Day

Halftail shook his head to clear it from the thought before he strode toward a room. He heard a thud and his fur stood on end. That must mean that someone else was in the room!

He lowered into a crouch, his muscles jutting out while his claws were extended. "Show yourself," he ordered with his teeth bared.

To his surprise, a beautiful silverish blue she-wolf stepped out with feathery white wings lingering at her side. A tiny pup, about the age of Swifttail, strode to her side. His pelt was exceptionally blueish gray with bright blue eyes. "Bluefeather, who's this," inquired the pup as he narrowed his eyes. "He smells funny."

“Not right now, Keen," barked the wolf as she pushed him under her and she bared her teeth threateningly at Halftail. "What do you want?"

Before Halftail could answer, a solider darted behind them and pointed a blaster at them. "Freeze," he shouted while his voice almost quivered in uncertainty.

Halftail rolled his eyes. He'd had enough of this. He darted forward and leaped for the man's chest. He brought him down before he thrust his hind leg against his head and helmet to knock him out. To his surprise, Bluefeather and Keen surged past him and the fallen solider.

He narrowed his eyes before he strode toward the room. He reared on his hind leg and pawed around in the usual space. His heart skipped a beat as he realized that there was nothing left there. He pulled out a few more boxes, but they were empty too. Rage exploded in him. He needed that!

“Dad," called Swifttail as he surged forward with a swollen eye where the butt of a gun had smacked him. "Adlerleaf and I just saw a wolf with wings holding a bag of needles."

Halftail let out a yowl. "Hurry. We need that," he cried out as Adlerleaf and Swifttail fell right behind him. He surged forward before with his paws beginning to skid against the ground. His entire body was starting to feel tight as his muscles threatened to shudder with each step. His head tilted upward as he saw the two wolves scaling the buildings above easily with their wings spread, casting shadows down to the creatures below.

“Dad, this is dangerous," pointed out Swifttail as he struggled to keep pace with his father.

Halftail started to climb the nearest building as quickly as he could. "I know, but what she has I need," he sputtered as his jaw went lax and made a strange sound.

Swifttail's eyes widened a bit as Adlerleaf pressed against him. "We can get some more somewhere else, I'm sure," she argued with round eyes like Swifttail.

Halftail shook his head as he hauled himself up. Each time he lifted his paw, he felt as if he was hauling stones. He swallowed painfully as he continued to pull himself to the next alcove. “No, I can't. You two catch up with Kanan and I'll find those two wolves," he called as he surged forward, his tail dragging in weariness. 

Halftail leaped over the buildings, hoping that he'd find them before it was too late. He lowered down as he suddenly watched from behind a pipe as the she-wolf called Bluefeather gave the bag of medical supples to a teenage boy with bright blue hair. "Great job, Bluefeather! These will be worth a lot on the black market," he told her with bright eyes.

Halftail muttered to himself. This wasn't going to work. He was going to have to find the medication somewhere else. 

He reluctantly turned and leaped down from the roof of the building he was on, finding Kanan easily. He was walking casually, so Halftail bounded to his side, trying to act like he wasn't out of breath. "Did you get it," asked Kanan hopefully.

Halftail shook his head. "Some wolves snatched it before I could. They're planning to sell it on the black market," he spat as his head shook once more. He needed at least something to tide him over.

“Well, then you can help us," Kanan breathed as he took a few steps forward before he patted his one thigh to motion Halftail close.

Halftail saw Zeb nod with Swifttail at his side, his claws peeking out of his toes. Halftail smiled as he flicked his tail before he curved it, trying to tell Swifttail what he needed to do. Swifttail nodded in understanding as he stayed close to Zeb, but he was more of a scout for danger.

They almost strode right up to Sabine and Adlerleaf. Adlerleaf was pretending to play with a dead mouse, but as soon as Kanan patted his other thigh she straightened to attention. She stalked forward with Adlerleaf doing the same type of scouting as Swifttail, thanks to Halftail's signals.

Sabine and Adlerleaf walked for a while before Sabine threw a grenade at an Imperial speeder. The one man looked suspicious, but not suspicious enough to stop her. Sure enough, it went off and chaos erupted. However, Halftail knew exactly where to be. Kanan traveled on a land speeder while Halftail darted and wove around him. He stopped in front of two Stormtrooper with goods before he leaped off and kicked on in the face.

Halftail hissed at one and when he turned to shoot at Halftail, Kanan shot him right between the eyes. Halftail purred before two more appeared. He acted scared, but it was all due to plan.

Zeb and Swifttail came up. Swifttail strode over to Halftail and pressed against him before Zeb came up and knocked them together to knock them out. 

Before they could celebrate the same blue haired kid that Halftail had seen earlier with his medicine jumped down. "Thanks," he told the crew before he took one of the speeders and headed off, with supplies attached. 

Halftail saw Bluefeather and Keen flying overhead and he growled. "He's got the meds and the weapons," he snarled at Kanan as his back arched in frustration. "We have to stop him."

Kanan gave a nod. "Agreed. Halftail, Swifttail, and Adlerleaf try and catch up to him. The rest will go on speeders."

Halftail gave a firm nod before he darted forward, his body tensing as he ran. He needed those meds and he wasn't about to let the kid just sell them to someone who may not even need it. He saw the kid turn and he snarled. "Slow down," panted Adlerleaf as she stumbled a bit. The speeders were traveling at higher speeds than they were used to running at.

“Flank him," ordered Halftail to Adlerleaf since he knew that she couldn't keep up at this pace for much longer. She looked up and gulped painfully as she obeyed.

However, Halftail noticed that he was beginning to fall back as well, his vision blurring and his body now twitching so much that he couldn't run properly. He stopped chasing the kid and he hunkered down, pain surging through his whole body. 

“Dad," whimpered Swifttail as he halted and looked to his father. "Dad, can you hear me?"

Halftail looked up, but he couldn't answer. He turned to Swifttail, his head twitching and teeth being forced back in a snarl as he twitched. He tried to speak, but all that he could force out with a choked whimper. The tremors were what started everything and then it became a lot more severe. He shuffled away from Swifttail as his body began to tense upward and he battered at it, his claws extended. It cut so deep that blood gushed and began to drip from his claws.

He was faintly aware of Swifttail coming toward him, but everything was a blur. He let out a cry of agony as his shoulder tensed and thrust forward a bit. His head sprang upward feebly and then everything went black.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
Flashback

“Be careful when you set him down," ordered a Jedi healer with blazing eyes in terror. "I haven't seen something this bad with this condition in all my years of serving."

“Just help him," begged Master Brist as he looked up to the women with round eyes. It was common knowledge that attachment was forbidden, but that didn't mean that it didn't happen. Brist was a seasoned Jedi and had trained Padawans before. However, something was different between him and Mietro. Something about him lent Brist to know that he needed him. He couldn’t bare if anything happened to him. "Please."

The women narrowed her eyes a bit at Brist. "I can't do anything if you keep hovering. You can stay in the room, but you must give me room to do my job.”

That was when Mietro woke up, his body thrashing around a bit and his head shaking. He screamed in pure agony and terror as if a great monster had captured him and was torturing him from the inside out.

“Sparik, I need your help," called the women as a Padawan Kel-Dor charged forward with bright eyes and a Padawan braid that came from behind her ear and over one of her shoulders.

She came over and began to hold Mietro down as much as she could. "I got it, Master Tice," she assured as she used her strength to hold him down. She was older than Mietro and just a bit bigger.

“What's wrong with him," whimpered Brist as he looked up to Master Tice and then to the Padawan fearfully.

Sparik turned to face Brist as Master Tice took a step back, allowing her Padawan to take the lead. "Any prior medical problems," she inquired quickly as Mietro began to calm. As soon as he did Sparik readied an IV filled with morphine and plunged it into his vein. After a while the pain eased, but the twitching and spasms continued. 

Brist frowned. "Just a twitching disorder. Sometimes he makes sounds and movements that he can’t control, but nothing like this," he replied. 

Sparik turned to face him with surprise glittering in her eyes. "You took on a Padawan cougar with known tremors and uncontrollable outburst?" Taking on a Padawan with any medical problems was unheard of, especially one that could be seen as a weakness to diplomats and other people that they came into contact with.

Brist didn't need a lecture right now. He needed them to help his Padawan. "Please, just help him and you can ask questions later," he hissed as his hackles rose.

Master Tice stepped in front of them. "Don't be angry at Sparik. She's just stating a fact. Those with health problems don't become Jedi."

“I don't see why," snorted Brist. Since he was a Padawan himself he knew that he wanted a Padawan, no matter what may be hindering them. He had felt a special connection with Mietro and it didn’t matter whether he had a medical complication or not. 

Sparik rolled her eyes and looked back to Mietro. "What happened right before you cried for help."

“He was having his tremos, which is normal, and then his body just started seeming really weird. It was twitching, but also his pelt was lifting off his body and it was scary. Then he had a seizure and then he came here," repeated Brist with a shiver. It was terrible to think about this actually happening to a cat like Mietro.

Sparik exchanged a look with Master Tice. "Anti-seizure medication, right," she asked, wanting the prompt from a real healer. She nodded and Sparik strode off to grab a vile and syringe

“Don't be angry with her," murmured Master Tice to Brist. "She is just pointing out the facts. She doesn't know your family history, Brist."

And Brist didn't want her too. "That's okay. As long as you can help Mietro."


	27. Friend Or Enemies? Probably Both

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Halftail has a chance to meet the crew that stole the supplies that he desperately needed.

Present Day

Halftail opened his eyes and found that he was back on the Ghost. He realized he had an oxygen mask on him so he pushed it off swiftly.

“Halftail, you can't do that," snapped Birchfoot as he muttered something under his breath that Halftail couldn’t catch. "That's the only thing that's keeping your oxygen saturation up!”

Halftail turned his head and saw Swifttail looking over at his father with fear in his eyes. Halftail could guess that Swifttail had probably been the one to bring him back to the Ghost. 

Halftail narrowed his eyes a bit as he tried to look down at the mask. "Where's Kanan," he panted, him and Swifttail always the first on his mind. 

Swifttail drew forward and licked his father's cheek. "He's fine. Everyone's fine and the kid is actually here onboard, with those two wolves actually.”

That didn't make Halftail feel much better. Before he could say anything, there was a knock at the door. Halftail faintly lifted his head and he saw Kanan, the kid, and the wolves clustered at the entrance.

“Come on in," meowed Birchfoot as he limped forward, his foot dragging behind him since it was too painful for him to lift it. "But don't stay long. I have enough bodies always crowding my room without all of you adding to it!”

Swifttail took a step forward and dipped his head. "Sorry. Birchfoot can be a little grumpy sometimes, but he means well. He's just kind of stressed," he apologized as he turned and strode over to Halftail and licked his cheek to try and perk him up a bit for his visitors.

Kanan smiled a bit. "It's okay. Grumpiness is allowed on this ship as long as it doesn't turn destructive or violent," he chuckled as he shot Birchfoot a gentle look.

Birchfoot lowered down and touched his nose to some herbs that he had brought out for Halftail distractedly. "Birchfoot," chuckled the kid as he rolled his eyes. 

Birchfoot flattened his ears against his head his his lips peeled back in the beginning of a snarl. "What's your name, smart guy?" 

“Ezra," he answered as he crossed his arms and stood backwards a bit. “And this is Bluefeather.” He nodded to the beautiful blue furred wolf with white feathers. “And Keen.” He pointed to the smaller of the two. This wolf was more grayish than blue, but had startling blue eyes.

“Ezra," repeated Birchfoot as he sat back on his haunches as he licked a paw and drew it over his ear. "Nice name. Much nicer than my name. However, that's what happened when you get injured."

Halftail saw Ezra as well as the wolf's eyes widened so he growled a bit. "Don’t scare them," he sputtered as saliva dripped from his gaping mouth a bit, wheezing as he took in some oxygen from the mask. "If you get an injury you don't have to be named after it and Birchfoot isn't named after his injury."

Kanan sat down and looked to Ezra. "Do you want to sit down too? It's the most polite thing to do," he told him, but Halftail thought it was a little too late for the whole manners thing with him.

Ezra obeyed though as did Bluefeather and Keen. "What's wrong with him," asked Ezra as he looked toward Halftail.

A growl rolled in Halftail's throat as he looked over to Birchfoot. "Take this stupid thing off. I'm fine, now," he assured and he hoped that it was true.

Birchfoot seemed reluctant, but he wasn't about to argue with him right now. He sunk his teeth into the back of Halftail’s mask and pulled it off the older tom’s face. Halftail looked up to Ezra quizzically. "There's numerous things wrong with me," he coughed. "Where would you like to begin?"

Kanan crossed his arms. "Halftail is usually fine, but he's run out of his medication."

“What does he need that for," inquired Keen almost sheepishly before ducking back behind Bluefeather fearfully.

Kanan looked to Halftail and Halftail gave a defeated nod. "Halftail has a condition that causes his body to have seizures and violent tremors. That’s what happened while we were trying to steal those weapons.”

Ezra and the others looked startled as Kanan continued. "We'll talk about that later if you would like, but that medication that you stole from the shelter Halftail needed."

“Again with the names," muttered Ezra as he looked over to Swifttail. "Are you named Smallear or Shortlegs?"

Swifttail shoved his ears forward in defiance as his claws worked against the ground. "My name is Swifttail. At least my name has honor behind it, does yours."

That seemed to jolt something in Ezra since he looked away shyly. Swifttail didn't care. He deserved it! He turned back to his father, shifting hotly.

Halftail looked over to Keen and Bluefeather. "Why do you need the medicine," he rasped.

Bluefeather shook her head a bit. "We were just going to sell it to get some extra credits. Times are tough," she pointed out darkly.

Swifttail lifted his head. "My father will die without it and you're worried about the credits," he snarled as he strode froward and thrust his muzzle an inch from Bluefeather's nose.

Bluefeather stood firm, her eyes darkening a bit. "That's not my order to give."

Keen and Bluefeather then looked to Ezra. Ezra looked like he wished he was somewhere else. "Please," begged Swifttail as he looked up to Ezra. "If you won't give us all of them, give us at least one. It'll at least hold him over until we can get more somewhere else."

Ezra thrust his backpack forward and placed it in front of him. He dug around until he took out a box full of syringes with liquid flowing through them in vials. He passed the box over to Swifttail and his eyes lit up. "Thank you," he gasped as he pushed it over to Birchfoot and helped him tug one free.

“Why did you do that," inquired Keen in a harsh tone as his teeth clicked together.

Ezra hung his head. "Because it was the right thing to do," he answered, but it was more like a mumble. 

As soon as the liquid touched Halftail's vein it was like he was a different cat. He lifted his head and shook it a bit once realized that dried blood clumped his fur. "What happened?"

“It," answered Kanan gently as he ruffled the fur between Halftail's ear. "Come on. Let's give a brief report to Hera and Chopper."

Halftail grunted as he pushed himself to his paws. He dipped his head to Swifttail and Birchfoot for helping him. The two dipped their heads back, but they clearly didn't want him to be working or moving around. However, Halftail had things he needed to do. 

He passed Ezra and he narrowed his eyes to slit. That boy had almost killed him, whether he really wanted to or not. He pushed past them and saw that Molis and Adlerleaf were waiting for him.

“I'm alright," he assured as he touched his nose to Adlerleaf's ear. "I was just checking out the new meat, who if they're not careful they'll end up as fresh meat."

Adlerleaf purred as Molis rumbled in agreement. "I don't know why Kanan allowed them to come on board. They haven't done anything for us except nearly kill us," Molis pointed out as he looked into the room a bit as Kanan came out. 

“Are you ready, Halftail," inquired Kanan.

Halftail nodded. "I'm fine, but when are you going to do something about those things," he inquired as he watched Ezra, Bluefeather, and Keen sneak from the room after being shoed by Swifttail and Birchfoot. They really didn't want to have them hanging around.

Halftail heard Kanan called his name and he surged forward, pushing past Molis and Adlerleaf gently. He strode into the chockpit and hissed as Chopper slammed into him, making his vision blur a bit. "Enough, Chopper," he spat as his fur bristled. "Just move over!"

Halftail managed to push Chopper, despite his loud beeping that came from him. He leaped beside Hera and Hera looked over. "What slowed you two up from coming over to me?"

“We had a bit of a problem," answered Halftail, not really wanting to go into details about what had really happened. 

Kanan sat down and sighed heavily, pinching the bridge of his nose in mild annoyance. "We had some kid problems."

“A kid managed to slow you down," gasped Hera in shock. "It had to be some kid."

“I don't know about that," argued Halftail as he licked a paw and drew it over his ears in a quick grooming ritual. His fur was still coated in splotches of blood that camouflaged nicely in his brown pelt.

Halftail blinked his eyes as Kanan shook his head. "Plus there were two wolves! Wolves like I've never seen before with wings and stuff!"

Halftail rolled his eyes. "They're not that impressive," he snorted, although he did have to admit it was slightly interesting what Bluefeather and Keen could do.

Hera was going to say something else when a couple TIEs dropped from the atmosphere to launch forward and toward them. "TIEs, incoming," cried out Hera as she took evasive action.

The Ghost tipped and Halftail fell sideways, tripping over his own tail and whimpering in agony. He shook his head to clear it and surged from the cockpit and into the cargo hold. "TIEs," he announced as he stared down on everyone. "My group, you know what to do."

“Oh yeah," purred Adlerleaf as she surged forward and brushed her fur against his flank, heading to one of the cannons. Molis followed as Halftail threw himself down and landed on his paws. He saw Keen and Bluefeather seem to stiffen as they realized what was happening. 

Halftail strode over toward them and thrust his muzzle over to them. "If you want to help then help, but if not then stay out of the way," he reported harshly. 

Bluefeather seemed a bit taken back, but Keen took a step forward. "I'll help," he announced with gleaming eyes. 

Halftail dipped his head. "Then follow me," he ordered as he darted forward, his paws barely landing on the ground. Keen followed him as they traveled to the belly of the Ghost where Adlerleaf usually manned a nice sized cannon for these such emergencies. She was just the only one qualified to use them, or at least most qualified to run them.

“You got come help," Adlerleaf commented as she began to position the cannon in the right direction. "Good! Because I need help placing the ammo in here." She pointed to a long area where the cannon would be placed. 

Halftail and Keen strode over to where Adlerleaf kept the ammo very neatly placed. Halftail rolled it out with his claws before he looked to Keen. "We're going to both lower under it and push it up so we can place it in there, okay?"

Keen just nodded. He didn't seem very talkative, but that didn't bother Halftail. The less arguing he got from this stealing wolf the better. They both pushed under it and arched their backs. The ammo lifted and Halftail had to admit it was extremely heavy and, despite Keen's trying, he wasn't the strongest creature that Halftail had ever met. However, they managed to haul it up and thrust it into the opening. 

“You're ready," yowled Halftail as the Ghost turned harshly. Keen stumbled before falling against Halftail, yipping in shock. For a wolf who had never been in space before it had to be pretty terrifying for him.

Once the Ghost righted itself, Adlerleaf looked down the sight. Once she had a TIE in her sight, she leaned forward and pushed her paw against the trigger. It went off and exploded as it sliced right through a TIE. “Yes," exclaimed Adlerleaf before she raised a paw to Halftail and they hit their paws together.

Halftail thought that he should have involved Keen, but he wasn't sure if he could trust Keen yet. He certainly didn't trust Bluefeather or Ezra. "How did you learn to use a cannon," inquired Keen as he leaned forward a bit toward Adlerleaf.

Adlerleaf turned in her chair and leaped down, her tail curling over her back. "Practice and I mostly taught myself. You have to be useful on this crew," she meowed silkily and Halftail saw Keen gulp a bit. They padded forward and strode upward and were relieved to see Birchfoot and Swifttail watching with bright eyes.

“We saw that explosion, prefect," purred Birchfoot as he touched his nose to Adlerleaf's ear and she blushed in embarrassment. She always did when her brother praised him.

Bluefeather strode over to Keen as she lowered down, nuzzling him. "Where are we going," inquired Bluefeather as she looked over to Halftail.

Halftail didn't want to answer this question, but he couldn't always be hotheaded toward Bluefeather, especially if she was going to stay around. Bine wouldn't approve of Halftail’s demeanor and that's the only reason that he would actually answer. That and he had Swifttail to teach and show how a tom should act. "We're going to see how much that supplies can run us. This ship doesn't run on love alone."

Bluefeather chuckled as she looked down at Keen. "Perhaps we'll get something for-" She stopped as Swifttail bounded in and surged over toward Halftail.

“Hey, Dad," he purred as he licked Halftail's cheek. "Are you alright? Is the medicine working yet?”

Halftail touched his nose to his son's in an attempt to calm him. “I'm alright. I'll be great when I see those credits."

“Do you think next time we land we can maybe go hunting? I've had a hankering for fresh caught prey," he meowed as his mouth began to water.

Halftail cuffed his ear gently. "We'll see. It depends on what planet we land on. But I'm sure that we'll be able to do something," he assured before he nudged his head against Swifttail's haunch. "Now how about you go and see if Birchfoot needs you?"

Swifttail dipped his head and rushed up the ladder and back toward their room. Once he was gone he was shot a sympathetic look from Bluefeather. "Is that your son?"

Halftail was hesitant to answer, but he finally nodded. "Yeah, he's my son. He's training to be a healer under Birchfoot. I couldn't be more proud of him." Halftail watched as Keen seemed enthralled in Molis and Adlerleaf's battle training. Adlerleaf sighed before she invited him over to train. "Is he yours?"

Bluefeather narrowed her eyes. "That's none of your business," she snapped as she strode away. Halftail drew back in surprise. She could be friendly one heartbeat and the next hostile. He was going to find out why Bluefeather was acting that way, but she certainly wasn't going to make it easy.


	28. Bonding

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A simple hunting trip between father and son can only strengthen their bond, even if it is cut short.

Flashback

Brist curled in a ball in the waiting room where other Jedi Masters were waiting for their Padawans as well as the other way around. He saw their fear and felt it, as well as his own. In this room the rules about keeping your feelings about loss to yourself exploded. Brist couldn't imagine working in here all day. It would drive him mad!

“Brist," called Master Tice at the doorway. 

Brist lifted his head and his whiskers twitched. "Is he-"

Master Tice raised a weary hand. "Follow me," she ordered as she strode back down the hallway with Brist struggling behind her. Every step he took seemed to be two steps back. A wail rose in his throat in worry, but he managed to suppress it.

Master Tice looked back at him and shook his head. "I feel through the force your hostility and fear toward this place. Is this because of your brother?"

Brist's legs locked as he walked so he wouldn't snarl at Master Tice. "Perhaps. You know that I took his loss rather harshly," he muttered.

Master Tice sighed. "And you also know those with Down Syndrome don't live the longest. Also your kind with that condition usually doesn't live long at all."

“He was gone way too soon," breathed Brist as he hung his head, grief showing in his eyes. 

Once Master Tice opened a door, Brist saw Mietro sitting in a bed, wires and all kinds of monitors hooked up to him. Brist's heart leaped in his chest and he almost cried at seeing his Padawan like that. He darted over to Mietro's side and reared on his hind legs to see him on the bed. He grasped his paw and squeezed. "Oh, Mietro."

Master Tice came up with Sparik right behind. Her eyes softened. "I managed to stabilize him. Once he wakes up from his 'nap' he should be fine," assured Sparik as she glanced fearfully to Master Tice. “However, I do think I know what was making him so sick."

“What," gasped Brist as his mouth went dry.

Sparik worked her hands together firmly. “Have you ever heard of Epilepsy?”

Brist frowned. “I supposed I may have heard of it, but I’m not familiar with it.”

Sparik sighed heavily and nodded before rubbing a hand uncomfortably against the back of her neck.. "It’s a seizure condition. It can cause tremors, cognitive issues, and those fits that you witnessed. We’re going to need to put him on some intense medications to see if they can help calm his neurological system and limit the amount of seizures that he has.”

“What do you mean, intense medication," wondered Brist as he drew back a bit, his ears plastering against his head. That didn't sound good, to anyone. 

Master Tice looked to some liquid hanging in a bag from an IV pole. "You'll have to do this once a day for a moon for it to pass through his system. Once that's finished he'll need to use syringes filled with medication that can only be absorbed intravenously. He'll need pills as well as well as-"

“Can he at least be a Jedi," rasped Brist as he shook his head grave. From the heartbeat he had met Mietro he knew that's all he wanted was to be a Jedi. He didn't think it was possible because of his tics and tremors, but Brist had promised that he would make him a Jedi. He wasn’t about to go back on that promise just because things got difficult.

Sparik and Master Tice exchanged a glance. "Well, I suppose that you two can try. It'll be hard, but with effort it could work," answered Master Tice as she smiled at Mietro as his chest rose and fell. "He's a determined little wolf-heart, so I'm sure if he puts his mind to it then he'll be able to."

“Just make sure he takes all of his meds," pressed Sparik as she looked down to the still sleeping Mietro with a worried look behind the goggles on her eyes. "Or the reaction could be worse than this. His own body was attacking himself and that caused the seizures. Can you promise me that you'll always look after him?"

Brist was shocked that Sparik would even suggest that he wouldn’t. "Of course! He is like my son and I will always look after him."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Halftail sunk his claws into his pads as the ship began to lower down. He hated this part of any journey and he wasn't exactly sure why. Once the Ghost landed, Kanan came out and nodded to him. "Are you ready to see what all this is worth?"

Halftail dipped his head. However, he remembered Swifttail's request so he sighed. "Would it be alright if I took Swifttail hunting with me? He said he really wanted to go and-"

“Say no more," interrupted Kanan as he lowered down on one knee and smiled. "Of course it's okay. Just keep your com on just in case."

Halftail dipped his head. "Will do." He shot his glance over to Ezra, Bluefeather, and Keen. "Just keep your eyes on them. I don't trust them quite yet."

Kanan chuckled and crossed his arms. "I'm sure they'll be fine, Halftail. You should probably keep an eye on Swifttail. He's got your rebellious spirit."

“And his mother's integrity," he added as he flicked his tail tip to Kanan. He darted forward and found Birchfoot and Swifttail sorting some herbs from the supplies that they were planning on keeping. 

Halftail purred warmly at the entrance and Swifttail lifted his head. "Oh, hi, Did. What are you doing here," he inquired as he rose to his paws and strode over to his father, weaving between his front legs playfully.

“You said you wanted to go hunting," he meowed as Birchfoot smiled as he sat upward, yawning a bit. "I thought that now would be a good time."

Swifttail's eyes glowed before he turned to look at Birchfoot. "May I go hunting with my Dad, please," he pleaded as his ears perked up.

Swifttail's heart lay both with Birchfoot as a healer and Halftail as a hunter and a fighter. He was certainly well rounded and that would help him one day. Birchfoot knew this, but Halftail always knew that his heart ached whenever they went hunting or battle trained since he couldn't do it very well. 

“Of course you can," meowed Birchfoot as his whiskers twitched. "I'm going to finish up here while they transport the goods."

Swifttail dipped his head. "That or get some rest. You've been having nightmares for moons and they're keeping you up through the night."

To Swifttail it was a simple statement, but to Birchfoot it was a hard truth that scared his heart. "Perhaps I will," he muttered as he turned and swept his tail across the ground as he tried to place some weight on his twisted and useless leg.

Before they upset the healer even more than they had already done, Halftail pushed his head against Swifttail's haunch. "Let's get going while the sun is still up," he suggested as they strode down the hallway and down the ladder.

“Are you going hunting," asked Molis as his eyes glittered.

Halftail dipped his head. "Yes, we are. Would you like to join us, Molis?"

Molis shook his head. "I'm going to keep my eye on the newbies, if you can call them that. I don't know about you, but Adlerleaf and Birchfoot weren't that shady when they came aboard. They actually wanted to be here!"

“Yeah, but I'm sure there are still things about Birchfoot and Adlerleaf that we don't know," Halftail meowed slowly.

Molis shrugged a bit, showing his teeth in the growing light. "Perhaps, but still I want to make sure everyone is safe onboard, and the generations to come."

Halftail was pleased to have a crew member as loyal as Molis. They hadn’t always gotten along, but he couldn’t imagine not having Molis as part of the Ghost crew. “Thank you, Molis. I'll see you later," he called as he plunged downward with Swifttail darting behind him.

Halftail lifted his head and sniffed the air, sand squishing between his claws. This was one of the hardest places to hunt for Swifttail, but it wasn't that hard for Halftail. He was more used to hunting in grass and sand then in snow and ice. 

“Why did we have to land here," complained Swifttail as he lifted a paw and shook the sand from his paws. 

Halftail purred as he looked to his son. "Don't worry, Swifttail. By the time you're my age you'll be able to hunt in any terrain," he assured as he bunched his muscles. 

“Could Mother," inquired Swifttail with eyes stretched wide a bit.

Halftail thought for a second, giving Swifttail the mystery of wondering. "I believe she was. I saw her once catch a bird as it was a few feet in the air. She could sure jump when she wanted to." Just the thought of Bine made his heart ache. "Let's go while the sun is still up."

Swifttail dropped the subject of his mother and he pushed forward, his paws sliding into the sand more than he intended. "Keep your body weight even and relaxed. That may help with the sinking."

Swifttail tried to obey, but Snow Leopards aren't meant for desert climates. Halftail strode over to Swifttail and pushed his haunch a bit. Swifttail evened himself so that his weight was more evenly distributed, yet he still sank. "How about you watch me catch a snake and see if you can copy it," he offered as he nodded to his son. 

Swifttail let out a swear and Halftail's tail lashed. He had tolerance for a lot of things, but language wasn't one of them. He could distinctly remember his Master nearly raking his claws through his fur the first time that Halftail had used such profanity. Swifttail hung his head and wrinkled his muzzle, what he did when he usually knew he was in trouble. "Sorry. Yeah, I'll watch you. Maybe I can pick up some pointers."

Halftail nodded as he stalked forward, keeping his body weight even and paws constantly moving so he didn't sink in the sand. He felt actually at home here, almost as much as he felt at home in the forest with the trees. He could hunt almost anywhere, but this was his preferred element. 

It wasn't long before he picked up the scent of something reptilian slithering above the sand. It was a few paces away from him, but he could cover ground quickly if he wanted. He eventually lowered into a crouch and let out his breath gently and evenly. Once the snake had turned away from him, he charged.

Halftail lunged forward, trying not to skid as he picked up speed. Once he was a pace away from the snake, it turned. It pushed itself upward and fanned out skin around it's head. It hissed and showed two fangs as well as a long forked tongue. Halftail wasn't afraid and he hissed back, showing his own sharp teeth. 

The snake struck, but it missed Halftail paw, only coming away with a mouthful of sand. Halftail then reacted and slammed a paw against the snake's neck. The snake slithered under Halftail's grip, but Halftail was stronger. He thrust his muzzle downward and sunk his teeth into the snake's neck. The snake thrashed a few times before going limp in Halftail's grip. Halftail lifted his head and smiled, licking blood from his muzzle. "How was that?"

Swifttail lumbered forward, not caring about how he sunk in the sand. He fell forward a bit and Halftail purred, but Swifttail didn't look as amused. Once he finally made it to his father, he looked at the snake in awe. "I thought that the snake was going to beat you that time!"

Halftail pushed the snake toward Swifttail and it flopped miserably. "I wasn't going to be beat by some mouse-brained snake. Now here, try some." Halftail lowered down to tear a chunk from the snake before tossing it over to his son. It skidded in front of Swifttail’s paws, slightly covering itself in sand.

Swifttail had never had snake before, but he knew that it must taste decent if his father was so excited about it. He lowered his head and sunk his teeth into the cool scales. He dug into it until he made it to the meat. He tore it out and chewed it a bit before he swallowed it nearly whole. It was an interesting taste and texture, but it certainly was better than the rations that they usually had to eat.

“Not bad," mumbled Swifttail as he took another bite. "I like it better than rations."

Halftail smiled as he tore a piece out of the snake for himself, swallowing it it whole. His tongue swiped his lips to take in the flavor. “You're right, it is. However, this is probably a treat. We don't take time usually to do this since it's selfish."

Swifttail shook some blood from his muzzle. "Dad, I know we're fighting the Empire and all, but do you think we'll ever win. It seems like whatever we do doesn't really mean much and we're fighting a losing battle."

Halftail tugged more meat from the snake and looked up to his son as he spoke. "I know that it's hard. It's hard for everyone, but I promise that we are making a difference, it just doesn't always seem like it."

Swifttail was about to say something else when Halftail's com went off. Halftail turned his head and picked up the comm. "Spector seven here," he answered and he saw his son's face fall. No doubt that he desperately wanted to hunt and spend more time with his father, but that was going to have to be put on hold. 

“We're leaving. We need to talk about something very important, get back here," called Kanan through the comm. 

Halftail nodded although Kanan couldn't see him. "Alright, we'll be right there," he replied as he placed the comm back in his Jedi belt. He then looked to Swifttail. "Looks like we're going to have to cut this hunting trip short."

Swifttail looked a bit angry, but he nodded in understanding. "Can we at least take the snake back? I'd like to give the rest to Birchfoot. He's always telling me about the prey that he and Adlerleaf managed to find when they were younger."

Halftail dipped his head at Swifttail's thoughtfulness. "Okay, as long as you can carry it back. Kanan sounded like he really wants to speak with us," he answered as he surged forward. Swifttail grasped the snake between his teeth and surged forward, after his father.


	29. Worries Expressed

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Another potential mission may just be too much for the Ghost crew.

Halftail pushed his way into the Ghost and gulped a bit as he saw Adlerleaf and Birchfoot talking, their heads bowed together urgently. "Is everything alright," he asked as he stopped at Adlerleaf's side. "Did you receive any credits for the supplies that we stole?"

Birchfoot waved his tail. "Follow me. You should probably ask Kanan what's going on. He's the one with the plans," he answered as he strained himself as he rose to his paws.

Swifttail followed his father with the snake hanging from his jaws. "I brought this from our hunt," he mumbled as he dropped it in front of Birchfoot.

Birchfoot looked down at the snake and forced a purr. "Thank you Swifttail. It was very kind of you to think of me. Do you want some?"

Swifttail shook his head. "Dad and I already ate. You go ahead," he meowed as he dipped his head.

“Come on," meowed Halftail as he pushed his head against Swifttail's shoulder. "Kanan probably wants us in there sooner rather than later."

Swifttail dipped his head once more to Birchfoot before he strode into the common room. They took their seats and after a few heartbeats Birchfoot and Adlerleaf joined them.

“We were informed that the Wookies have been captured by the Empire," explained Kanan once everyone was settled. "They're on an Imperial ship as we speak."

Halftail’s eyes lit in surprise. "I knew a Wookie Jedi once. He saved my life. I owe his kind for that," he murmured as he shook his head gravely

Zeb looked at his feet. "They tried to help my kind when the Empire moved in. They even saved a few of my people," he sighed heavily. 

“They saved my kind too," agreed Hera as Zeb exchanged a glance with her. They did have an understanding. 

Kanan stroked his beard thoughtfully. "Then we're certainly going to have to help them."

“Well we can't go charging in. We need a-" Adlerleaf began to speak, but she was cut off by something traveling through the vents. 

Halftail turned his ears upward. "What in the galaxy is that," he muttered as he looked to Swifttail, but Swifttail had no idea what it was either.

Suddenly there was a thud followed by Chopper's beeping. Halftail turned in surprise and saw Bluefeather standing over Chopper as he struggled to push her off of him. Halftail tilted his head as Kanan opened a small housing door and he saw Keen and Ezra on the floor. 

Keen and Ezra tried to push themselves up the ventilation shaft, but Zeb darted forward and pulled them both out and threw them on the ground. Keen gasped a bit and he went to rush out of the room, but Halftail and Swifttail blocked his path. He lowered his head in his shoulders and fear sparked through his eyes.

“No where to run now," taunted Halftail as he extended his claws. "What are you going to do now?"

Bluefeather darted forward and pushed her head against Halftail's chest. "If you lay a claw on him I'll sink my teeth so far in your throat that they'll come out your neck!”

Halftail wasn't taken back by her threat. "I'd like to see you try," he shot back before he looked over to Keen, who was cowering behind Bluefeather. "You better start standing up for yourself and stop allowing your mother to."

“She's not my mother," argued Keen indigently. 

Halftail rolled his eyes. "Whoever is defending you then. You need to learn to stick up and protect yourself," he explained in a gentler tone. 

Zeb suddenly took a step forward. "Can I end these three punks?"

Sabine and Kanan held him back, and to Halftail's surprise, he felt a surge of protection toward Keen, so he stepped forward. "We can't," argued Sabine and Halftail saw Ezra brighten. "He knows too much."

Ezra sighed as he dropped backwards. Hera stepped forward and smiled. "I'll see to him," assured Hera as she helped pick up Ezra. "Bluefeather, would you like to come?"

Bluefeather looked at Keen. "What about-"

“I'll see to Keen," answered Halftail as he nudged the wolf's shoulder, ahead of his feathery wings. "I think that we have some things we would like to talk about."

Keen was shaking his head madly, but Halftail wasn't giving him a choice. He led him over to the cargo bay where they had more space and could talk freely. Keen turned to Halftail with wide eyes before finally sitting down with his wings nearly curled around himself. "What do you want with me," he rasped, his voice weak and trembling. 

Halftail blinked his eyes. "I don't want anything. I thought that if you're going to be onboard, just standing around, then you might as well train with me. I can teach you some much needed battle moves."

“Battle moves," echoed Keen as he tilted his eyes. "Why would you teach me battle moves?"

Halftail swallowed a sharp comment. He had to remember how gentle he had been with Sorrel and Swifttail when they were young. "Because I think that you could really benefit from it. You won't always have Bluefeather to protect you."

Keen shook his head at the though. "Maybe. Okay. However, I have to warn you, I'm not very good."

“I wasn't either when I was young, but I had a great teacher who was patient with me when I had my er troubles." Halftail knew that his troubles were a lot harder than anything that Keen had to deal with. He had trouble focusing and when his tics and tremors started, they didn't want to stop. 

Keen sighed. "I'll try my best, Halftail. Thank you.”

That was all that Halftail could ask of someone as sharp, yet as timid as Keen. "Now, let me teach you the basics. You have an advantage because you can fly, but you won't always be able to fly away from your troubles. You might need to fight paw to paw on the ground. Let's do a mock round and see how it goes."

Keen dipped his head as he lowered into a crouch, puffing out his wings a bit over his shoulders to make himself seem bigger. Halftail did the same and hissed threateningly. Keen drew back a bit, momentarily terrified of Halftail. Halftail wouldn't let up, though. He leaped forward and swatted a gentle paw against Keen's cheek. Keen drew back and coiled away like a snake. He then darted forward and tried to use his weight to push Halftail backwards.

Halftail just turned and Keen stumbled as he struggled not to fall one his momentum started. Once Keen was down, Halftail leaped on him and pressed his paws against his throat. Keen's eyes glazed over in alarm before Halftail drew back. "I wasn't really going to do it," he assured as he shook his head to clear it.

Keen gulped as he sat up. "I'm not very good, am I?"

Halftail wouldn't flat out tell him. After all, he didn’t want Keen to become discouraged. "We have some things to work on, that's all," he assured as he lashed his tail. "Now, what do you think you can do better and then I'll tell you what you could have done better."

“I could have been faster," Keen answered as he looked at his rather large paws for a wolf like him. "I need to be fleet footed, but I also need strength, which is something that I don't have."

Halftail dipped his head. "You'll gain strength once you start training. You're naturally small, which could come in handy sometime. I’ll teach you how being small could help."

“Really," brightened Keen as his ears perked up on his head. "You would do that, for me?!"

Halftail was surprised at why Keen didn't seem to believe him. "Of course," he breathed as he took a step forward and touched his nose to his ear.

“We all will!"

Halftail turned his head and saw Swifttail, Adlerleaf, and Birchfoot all standing on the rail. Molis followed a bit slower as if his heart or mind was somewhere else. "We will all help," repeated Swifttail while Halftail nodded in pride. 

He leaped down with the rest following. Molis helped Birchfoot down the ladder, despite his protesting, and he stumbled up to Keen. Keen was a bit taken back by this ragged half black panther and half lynx. Keen's eyes immediately drifted to Birchfoot's twisted leg and Halftail knew that it couldn't end well.

Surprisingly, Birchfoot just smiled. "Like the leg? That's how I earned my name, Birchfoot. I used to be just Birch, but now I have ancient honor. It's not a curse like you might think. I might even be able to teach you battle moves that you could use if one of your legs is injured."

“Ancient honor," echoed Keen as he narrowed his gorgeous blue eyes. "What is that?"

Swifttail purred as he stalked forward. "It's how we have two parts to our names. All ancient animals had them at one time, but once evil struck the galaxy, they did away with them. They say that only the most honored, compassionate, and selfless are awarded ancient names. At least, that’s the story.”

“Like Bluefeather," murmured Keen as his tail began to wag and that was the first time Halftail had seen Keen seem at ease. “And my mother!"

“What was your mother's name," pressed Molis as he shook out his pelt as Halftail could see interest glowing in his eyes. 

Keen shook his head and growled. "I don't want to think about it," he barked quickly as he looked at his paws. "Can we go back to battle training now?"

Halftail nodded to Swifttail and Adlerleaf. "You two can train with Keen first. Show him those moves that you worked on for team attacks. Those are great when you have another team member and you have a large group to fight against," he offered with a flick of his paw. 

Swifttail and Adlerleaf nodded eagerly and the each pressed against Keen and gave him slight jabs on how to stand and how to present himself. Once they were training, Halftail slunk a way a bit. He strode to the back, where Bine had died. He had set up a small memorial, but it wasn't much. He didn't want anyone to know that everyday he still visited it as if Bine was still there, waiting for him with bright eyes and a kind smile.

“You okay," pressed Molis as he drew forward with his head lowered in his shoulders.

Halftail looked back to his friend. "Sorry. I didn't know that anyone was watching me," he confessed as he bit his lip, nearly drawing blood.

Molis shook his head. "Don't apologize. You miss her, don't you," he wondered as he sat beside Halftail, their fur nearly brushing.

Halftail felt a sob rise in his throat. “More than you will ever know," he sighed as he shook his head. "I see her everyday in Swifttail and that's great. I love him so much, but I wish more than anything that Bine was here to see what a great cat he is."

“She knows," assured Molis as he looked upward. "She may not be right here with us, but she knows how you're raising him and that means so much to her."

Tears showed in Halftail's eyes and he wiped them away quickly. "It's funny because since the heartbeat I saw her, I knew she was a fighter and it was something that I gave her that killed her instead of some enemy.”

Molis touched his nose to Halftail's ear. "You didn't kill her, dear friend. She doesn't think that and neither does Swifttail. She loved you too much to actually think, nor believe that."

“I've cheated death so many times and she couldn't cheat it once," he muttered as he thought of Bine laying down with the moonlight streaming through her fur, making her almost glow. He smiled at how beautiful she had been. Swifttail would never know how beautiful she had been and where he had gotten his good looks. One day some she-cat would fall for him and vise-versa. He looked over to Adlerleaf and him pressed against each other as they spoke to Keen excitedly. To his grief and happiness it may have already happened.

“What do you mean," pressed Molis as he blinked his eyes.

Halftail realized that Molis didn't know much about his past. "It's a very long story."

Molis sat back on his haunches, lowering his head to lap at his chest fur. "We have plenty of time until we arrive at that Imperial ship."

Halftail gritted his teeth before sighing. "Alright, but don't say I didn't warn you. It's not the happiest tale."


	30. Taken

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A rescue mission doesn’t go quite according to plan.

Flashback

“No! No!"

Brist struggled to hold Mietro down as he tried to insert the needle into his vein. He had had this treatment a few days before, but it was extremely painful and everyday it was a challenge just to get him to sit still for it.

Brist kept pushing Mietro down, his teeth gritted in frustration “Mietro, I know that it hurts, but this is the only way right now to make sure that something like this doesn't happen again, okay?"

Mietro looked over to Brist with round eyes. "You have no idea how this feels," he mumbled as he looked away from his Master with tears in his eyes.

Brist sighed and drew back, allowing Mietro to thrash a bit as his tics took over. Brist just talked him through it. "You're right. I don't know what it's like to have tremors, or seizures, or that body attacking thing, or anything else you have, but I did grow up with a brother that had challenges of his own.”

Mietro's eyes glowed in interest. "What do you mean," he asked as the hissing died down and his tail tip stopped thrashing and his ears tried to lay down.

“If you let me do your meds in this IV then I'll tell you about him, how about that," offered Brist.

Mietro gulped before nodding slowly. Brist took the needle in steady paws. Sparik had taught him the proper way to insert a needle if Mietro was unable because of his tremors or anything else. Brist stuck the top of the needle into Mietro's vein and Mietro whimpered in pain. He then placed some tape on it to hold it down. He set the rate of injection and nodded as he sat in a chair next to Mietro.

Once Mietro calmed down, Brist began. "I was born in a litter of two. It was me and my brother, Blizzard."

“Brist and Blizzard," mumbled Mietro since the medication usually made him tired, but Brist saw that he was determined to stay away. "Why didn't they name you Brisk?"

Brist purred. "They actually did. I changed it once I entered the Jedi system. Anyway, my brother's name was Blizzard. Our parents loved us very much, but we were selected as newborns, who still needed to be nursed, to become Jedi. They changed our named to Brist and Karp."

Mietro liked both of those names. "I like your brother's name. It's like the name of a wonderful fish that tastes sweet when we hunt on Naboo."

“You're rambling," chided Brist gently as he lifted a paw and tapped it gingerly against Mietro’s nose. "Anyway, we were chosen and taken here. We trained with other younglings, but I noticed that Karp was falling behind. He wasn't reaching milestones and other things were happening to him. He had always been a little different, but I had tried my best to ignore it. One of the healers took him away and they diagnosed him with Down Syndrome."

Mietro hadn't met anyone with Down Syndrome before or really any disability since the Jedi frowned against physical or mental disabilities. They thought it was too challenging for them to become Jedi. Without Brist's pleading, Mietro would have never been accepted. "I want to meet your brother," wheezed Mietro as his eyes turned cloudy and his head slipped onto his shoulder tiredly. 

Brist sighed heavily. "When that happened they didn't really pay attention to him. He was smart as a whip, but other things weren't coming to him. His communication and size were lacking as well so they didn't think that he could be a Jedi."

“That's awful," Mietro suddenly snapped as he perked up. Once he did he lowered back down and yawed to show his large and glinting teeth.

“I know," sympathized Brist as he touched his nose to Mietro's ear to relax him. "I was chosen as a padwan but Karp wasn't. I always went and saw him and he was always studying since athletics weren't his thing."

Brist knew that the last part wasn't the best part. "Now those animals, like Karp, with Down Syndrome have health challenges. He died not soon after.”

Mietro was almost asleep, but he was still listening. "I'm sorry," he breathed as his eyes seemed to twitch madly in his eye sockets. 

Brist rested a paw on his shoulder. "It's not your fault. Now, why don't you get some rest and tomorrow I'll show you Karp's favorite place to be. I know that you'll love it."

Mietro's closed his eyes fully and nodded. "Okay."

Brist sat back and smiled. He hoped that he could share some of the love from Karp onto Mietro.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

“We're here," announced Kanan as he came down and looked to the group. "I need Halftail, Molis, Swifttail, Zeb, and Sabine." Halftail strode over and passed Keen. He looked like he wanted to go, but he knew that he wasn’t trusted yet. 

Halftail darted over with Molis at this side. "What's the plan," inquired Molis as he stood next to Zeb, his paws tingling with excitement. 

Kanan clenched a fist. "Free the Wookies," he answered. "And stop the Empire for a little bit."

Halftail nodded as he darted to the back and grabbed his Jedi belt, just in case. He always carried it in case there was a reason that he might need to reveal himself. He barged over to the group as they locked into the Imperial ship. Halftail's heart skipped a beat whenever they did this. He did not want to get caught, at least not by them.

“Man the comm and cannon just in case," he instructed Adlerleaf with eyes locked on the door.

“Got it," assured Adlerleaf as she kinked her tail over her back and disappeared quickly. 

Halftail then looked to Birch. "Be ready in case we have any injuries. These missions can always go bad very quickly," he reminded the primary healer.

Birchfoot dipped his head. "Will do, Halftail."

“What about me," broke in Keen as he looked up at Halftail with pleading eyes.

Halftail bit his lip as he tried to figure out what to do. "You've helped Adlerleaf before with me. Go down there and do anything that she says."

It wasn't much of a responsibility, but it was enough for Keen. He dipped his head and darted toward the belly of the Ghost where Adlerleaf was. Once Halftail was sure that he was gone, he strode after Kanan and the rest of the crew. He weaved around Kanan's leg and he gave his foot a tap, a secret signal to Halftail to keep close and be careful. Halftail dipped his head in understanding. While he didn’t need to be to told this, Kanan had used to do this on Jedi missions when Halftail's medication had worn off and the tics began.

Halftail peered over to see Swifttail staying close to Sabine. Molis was of course with Zeb and all of them were tense and ready for action. They were brought up to the door, and when it opened, two Stormtroopers were standing with blasters ready.

“What are you doing here," they inquired.

Kanan smiled. "We are transporting another prisoner."

The troopers looked at Zeb in confusion and so did Halftail. Zeb looked nothing like a Wookie. "That's not a Wookie," one of them clarified.

“Haven't you heard of the rare hairless Wookie before," inquired Kanan as he looked to Halftail who forced a nod. He wasn't even buying their plan. 

Zeb let out what should have been a Wookie growl, but to Halftail it sounded like a groan. He could have done a better impression. Eventually Zeb rolled his eyes. "Forget it." He darted forward and snacked them both in the head, knocking them out easily.

“That wasn't the plan," snapped Swifttail in surprise as his fur stood on end. 

Zeb shrugged. "They weren't buying it," he pointed out with a shrug at Swifttail. Swifttail shut his muzzle and Halftail knew that it was probably best option for him.

“Just come on," muttered Kanan, angry that his plan hadn't gone as plan. "We just need to find out where they're being held."

They darted forward and Halftail realized how much he hated the hallways. His pawsteps echoed like a deafening signal and there was no way to quiet them. He noticed that Swifttail thought the same thing. He had taught his son stealth and he had absorbed it like a sponge. The only advice that he hadn't taken was never to fall in love.

Swifttail drew near to Halftail and his ears twitched. "Something doesn't feel right," he argued as he gave his head and irritated shake. 

“Like what," pressed Halftail. He felt something through the force, but he hadn't thought that Swifttail would be able to feel it. Was Swifttail force sensitive? 

Swifttail gritted his teeth. "I don't know why, but I feel it."

Suddenly, Halftail tasted the scent of Bluefeather and Ezra. They came down the hallway, followed by Stormtroopers that were hot on their heels. Keen trailed, but he was a lot slower than either of them. A Stormtrooper shot in front of him and fear spiked through him. 

“Keen," yowled Halftail as he charged forward. He wasn't going to let this pup die on him, at least not like this. He couldn't let Keen die like Sorrel had.

Halftail surged in front of the Stormtrooper and launched himself at him. The Stormtrooper shot, but missed. He sidestepped around them before crashing into their legs to knock them out from under the Stormtroopers. Once they fell, Halftail went for their throat, hissing as hot and crimson blood bubbled up into his mouth. He drew back as a blaster bolt seared through his thick fur. He snarled and turned to the one that had shot. 

To his surprise, Swifttail was on him, weaving through his legs before he exploded forward, forced the Stormtrooper to fall so that he was on Swifttail’s level. "Leave my father alone," he spat as saliva dripped from his mouth.

The trooper thrust out a hand to choke Swifttail, but Swifttail jumped and latched onto the hand, breaking it with his strong teeth and jaws. "Run," Halftail snapped at Keen, who was frozen in terror.

Keen still stayed where he was, rooted to the spot. Halftail snarled in frustration as he pelted to Keen’s side. He thrust his head against Keen’s flank to knock him over. "Run, now!" Keen darted to his paws and Halftail darted after him as blasters rained behind them. 

Halftail saw that Ezra was being held, but he couldn't stop to help. He was still trying to force Keen forward since he was slowing in fear as his muscles locked up. They surged through the door and Halftail was sure that Swifttail was behind him. However, when he turned, he realized that he wasn't. 

“Swifttail," he cried as he looked at the closing door in shock.

The door closed and he saw Zeb surging forward. "Why did you close the door," snapped Halftail was he barged up to Zeb. "My son is still in there."

Zeb looked around. "I had to leave. They were coming."

Halftail pounded on the door with furious paws, but it wouldn't open. "Swifttail is still in there. I'm not leaving him! I promised Bine that I would always look after him," he seethed as he reared on his hind legs. 

Zeb shook his head as he almost pushed Halftail away. "We have to go."

Halftail wasn't leaving his son. "Over my dead body," he roared as he shook his head madly.

Zeb looked down. "Then we're leaving you here." He turned and darted forward. 

Halftail didn't care. He was going to get to his son back. He bunched his shoulders and continued to press against the door. It wouldn't open no matter how hard that Halftail pushed. He was faintly aware of someone behind him, but he thought that it was Kanan or Zeb.

To his horror it was a Stormtrooper. He set his blaster to stun and it surged through Halftail. He slumped against the door and the world went black.


	31. Whispers From Above

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Halftail receives a special message from just who he needs it from.

Halftail lifted his head and he realized that he was in a cell with something metal around his neck. He blinked his eyes in surprise and growled a bit as he pulled himself away from the wall. However, the chain didn't extend that far and he couldn't get anywhere near the door. He swore under his breath as his fur spiked. 

Halftail pawed at the metal chain and collar around his neck, but he couldn't dislodge it. "Wolf-scat," he spat as his lip curled. 

He kept pulling for a while longer to no avail. After a while, Halftail gave up and lowered down, his paws covering his scarred muzzle. "I can't do this anymore! I'm so sorry, Bine. I failed. Swifttail is gone and it's all my fault!"

“No it's not."

Halftail looked up and gasped as he saw Bine hovering in front of him. Her paw sparkled with stars while her eyes glowed. Beside her were two kits with stars in their fur and their eyes as bright as Bine's.

Halftail lifted his head. "Bine," he meowed hopefully, and once she nodded her head, he charged forward, choking himself in the process.

“Easy," chided Bine as she leaped forward, curling around Halftail affectionately. "I'll come to you." She began to groom his matted fur as he lowered down, savoring the feeling of having his mate next to him once again. Two tiny tongues rasped alongside hers as Halftail felt his body relax.

“I failed you. I failed Swifttail," wailed Halftail as his whole body shook. 

Bine sighed heavily and pressed so close to Halftail that he felt her heartbeat thundering against his flank. He felt reassured and just prayed that she wouldn't move. "You did not fail anyone, Halftail," murmured Bine affectionately. "Swifttail made his own choices and right now he's alright. Don't worry."

Halftail sighed heavily. "I miss you so much."

Bine chuckled softly and touched her nose to his cheek. "I miss you too. One day we will be together again, but now is not the time."

Halftail wanted to be finished with this life. He wanted to be with his mate and kits instead of living in pain everyday. However, he knew that Bine wouldn't allow him to give up. "Bine, why have all this awful things happened to me?"

“Because you're so strong. You're determined and the galaxy still needs you. I love you so much and you need to be here to watch over your son," purred Bine and it made Halftail's heart sore. Just her voice was enough to make him relax and long to be at her side. 

Halftail's eyes nearly rolled back in his head. "Where's Swifttaill."

Bine licked his nose and sparkles seemed to glow in her eyes. "Just follow this and it'll lead you right to Swifttail. You two need to be together to look after each other."

Halftail breathed deeply. "Thank you. I love you so much and I'm so sorry for everything that happened to you and our kits," he apologized.

“You don't need to apologize," breathed Bine as she stood up with Wildspirit and Sweetsong at her side. "Don't worry about this anymore. We love you. Just take care of Swifttail."

“Take care of our brother," piped up Wildspirit as his eyes shone as he looked to his father.

Halftail stretched out his nose and touched it gingerly to Wildspirit's ear. "I will," he vowed as his heart swelled in love for the son he barely knew. "I promise."

They suddenly all disappeared and Halftail's eyes glinted a bit as they adjusted to the light without Bine's brightness. He sighed heavily as he rose to his paws. The hope to find Swifttail shone bright inside of Halftail, but he still had the problem with the chain around his neck. He had no idea how he was supposed to get out of this. 

He knew that if he pulled he would choke himself. He sighed heavily as he sucked in his throat. Still, it wasn't enough. His ears pivoted on his head. He tasted the air and realized that someone was coming. Perhaps, he could wriggle his way out and then when they opened the door, he could bolt.

He began to move his tongue around in his mouth and started to drool deliberately. He rubbed a paw in it before he tried to rub it in the collar. It was a bit slicker, but he still couldn't pull his neck from them. He growled as he sunk his teeth into his neck and began to tug our fur. Pain seared through him as he spat out mouthfuls of his fur. He had a very thick pelt, so he thought that if he tore out some fur it might work to get him free.

Once he tore out a few more tufts of fur, he was able to move his neck slightly. He pulled forward and felt the collar come up to his ears before getting stuck. Halftail let out a heavy breath as he bunched his muscles. He suddenly launched himself backwards and the momentum was able to pull the collar from around him. Halftail yelped in surprise as he collapsed, the metal collar falling to the ground beside him, landing on a couple tufts of fur. 

When the door opened, he sunk his teeth into the nearest trooper's foot. He pulled him down and the trooper screamed in shock. He hadn’t been expecting that. The other trooper went to shoot, but Halftail grasped the blaster and fired it. The trooper fell and Halftail darted into view of the hallway, the trail of Swifttail still strong when he scented the air. Whatever Bine had done to him was working. 

He heard more troopers coming and he hid behind a pole, sucking in a breath. Once they passed, he darted back, keeping low to the ground in a stalking position. It was hard since the ground was so hollow and sound echoed everywhere. He prayed that the troopers couldn't hear through their thick helmets. 

The trail led to room and Halftail darted to the controls. He pawed at it until anger surged through him when he couldn’t force his way in. He slashed his claws against it painfully before he drew back and the door opened to his distain. He saw his son clustered in the middle of the room with the same chain collar that Halftail had worn. However, he had chains on his paws that held him down since he was sprawled out on his underbelly. Pain showed in his eyes and his back showed that he had been whipped. 

“Swifttail," meowed Halftail as he darted forward. He lowered down and Swifttail struggled to look up at him with fear in his eyes

“D-Dad," rasped Swifttail as his eyes struggled to focus. When they finally did focus on Halftail, he turned frantic. He turned his paw in the chains and tried to grasp his paw in his father's. Blood began to trickle out and Halftail grasped his paw to keep him from thrashing. 

Halftail lowered his muzzle to Swifttail’s. "It's going to be okay. I promise. You just need to stay very still and don't make any sudden movements," he breathed, hot on Swifttail's muzzle.

Swifttail looked up and licked his scarred muzzle. It looked like someone had raked knives against his muzzle. “I’m going to get you out,” Halftail vowed as he lifted Swifttail’s front right paw. He grasped the chain and pulled, managing to pull Swiftail’s paw free. Swifttail hissed in pain as Halftail did the same to the other three chains. Next was the collar around Swifttail’s neck.

Halftail grasped the collar and pulled it with his teeth. Swifttail sucked in a heavy breath until the chain was pulled from Swifttail’s neck. Swifttail rose to his paws thankfully, but he quickly slumped against Halftail's side since he couldn't stand for himself. "Thanks," panted Swifttail, his whole body heaving with every breath.

Halftail licked his ear. "Don't thank me yet. We're not out of danger. We have to get out of here and I'm not sure exactly how we are going to do that."

“We can do this," murmured Swifttail as his shoulders slumped a bit. 

“Yeah, we," muttered Halftail before he picked up Swifttail by the scruff. "I can’t carry you, so you’re going to have to help me out here. Do you think you can walk on your own?"

Swifttail gave out a gulp and nodded. "I can do it, I think," he murmured as his eyes shone in determination.

Halftail released his scruff and he stood proud, despite his shaky legs. "I'm okay. I'm okay."

“Good, now follow me. Keep low and keep up," he snapped as he started up the stairs and into the hallway with Swifttail struggled to keep up. Their fur bristled and their eyes bright as they kept moving. They kept alert as they looked for a way out.

Swifttail suddenly stopped and lifted his head to make himself as tall as possible. He opened his mouth, his whiskers twitching a bit. "I smell something," he announced.

Halftail looked over his shoulder. He knew that his son was an excellent tracker, but he knew that there were many new scents among them on this ship, many that Swifttail had never smelled before. "What do you smell," he wondered, giving Swifttail the benefit of the doubt.

Swifttail sprang past Halftail, nearly falling against his father before he righted himself quickly. “I smell Kanan, and Zeb, and Ezra!"

Halftail shook his head. "They're not on this ship. They can't be," he argued, but Swifttail seemed adamant. Swifttail turned to him and nodded in defeat. "Alright, lead the way."

Swifttail purred warmly and kept forward with Halftail right behind. They kept stalking forward, but Swifttail drew ahead and Halftail realized that he could scent them too. 

They turned the hallway as a purr rolled in his throat. "Kanan! Molis," he called as he looked toward the group. 

Kanan turned and his eyes lit. "Halftail! Swifttail! What have you gotten yourselves into?"

Halftail rolled his eyes as he kept forward with Swifttail struggling at his side. They strode over to their group and Kanan lowered down to scratch Halftail between the ears affectionately. "I'm so glad that you're alright," murmured Kanan before he looked over to Swifttail. "I knew as soon as I heard that you wouldn't have left without Swifttail."

Halftail shook his head. "I couldn't. I promised Bine that I would look after him," he murmured as he looked at Swifttail touch his nose to Adlerleaf's ear affectionately. "Did you come all this way for me?"

Kanan smiled timidly. "We're actually here for Ezra. Have you seen him?"

Suddenly, there was a clank and Ezra fell from the vent system. He was wearing a stormtrooper helmet and Zeb punched him hard. He fell backwards and he thrust off his helmet in rage. "Hey, what was that for," snapped Ezra as he narrowed his eyes. "First you leave me and now you punch me."

Zeb looked at his feet. "I didn't know that you weren't one of them."

Ezra made a face, but before anyone could say anything else, Molis took a step forward. "I'm sorry to break up the homecoming, but we have to go," he barked as his ears twitching. "I think that we're about to have company."

Halftail took a step forward and forced Swifttail forward. They darted down the hallway, but as soon as they did, Stormtroopers darted from the opposite direction and toward them. "Stop right there," they cried out.

Shock lightened in Adlerleaf's eyes as she sprang forward on light paws. "Hurry! The Ghost is this way," she instructed Swifttail and Halftail, but he was sure that she was only speaking to Swifttail.

They started to shoot at them, but Halftail had become excellent at dodging things. He broke into a full bolt as he saw Birch positioning himself at the entrance. "Come on! Can't you move any quicker," he complained as fear sparkled in his eyes.

Halftail managed to clamber onboard the ship and he nearly plowed into Birchfoot in the process. It didn't take long for everyone else to make it onboard with Swifttail nearly tumbling into Halftail. Halftail growled before Zeb, Sabine, Ezra, and Kanan surged in just as the hanger door closed. 

Once they were inside, the Ghost lifted and flew toward the upper atmosphere. Birchfoot strode over to Swifttail and he touched his nose to his apprentice's ear. "Thank Starbound you're alright," he meowed thankfully as he licked Swifttail between the ears fondly. 

Swifttail purred back to Birchfoot affectionately. "Me too. I was afraid that I would never get out of there." He then drew back and looked over to Halftail. "Thanks to my father.”

Halftail dipped his head. "I'd do anything for my son. Now let's regroup," he meowed as he pushed his head against Swifttail's shoulder and nosed him toward the cockpit. 

He followed with Birchfoot limping at his side. Halftail passed by Keen, who's head was lowered into his shoulder. To his surprise, Keen came over and looked up at Halftail. "I'm terribly sorry about what happened earlier," he apologized ,but he didn't seem have the guts to look at Halftail in the eye.

Halftail smiled a bit, too happy right now to be angry at Keen. "It's alright. There's been no harm done, at least not right now."

Keen seemed surprised that Halftail wasn’t laying into him, but he didn't argue it. Halftail kept forward and padded into the cockpit before he settled beside Kanan. The rest of the crew filed in after him and loyalty shot through Halftail like a claw. He never expected that a crew could be so much like a family. He gazed over at Keen and realized that it could possibly be growing everyday. 

“We didn't get any closer to finding out about the Wookies," sighed Adlerleaf as she shook her head gravely.

Ezra's eyes brightened. "I heard something about them while I was captured," exclaimed Ezra as he looked at Hera and Kanan with glowing eyes. "They said that they were taking them to the spice mills, wherever that is."

“It's on a hot planet," echoed Adlerleaf as she looked over at Birchfoot, who had the same dark and blank look on his face. "They won't last long with that long fur of theirs."

Birchfoot grunted in agreement. "That's like sending Swifttail there. If they're not used to it they won't last very long."

“A few months, a year, tops," muttered Hera as she shook her head.

Everyone grew silent before Ezra pipped up. "Then what are we waiting for?"

Everyone perked up at that. "We?" Kanan spoke and he was so shocked. Halftail's ears twitched in surprise as well while Keen nodded in agreement. Bluefeather looked like she wanted to argue with that, but she respected what Keen and Ezra had to say, so she finally nodded. 

Ezra defiantly crossed his arms over his chest.. "I didn't come this far just to go give up now, right Keen?"

Keen dipped his head as he looked over to Halftail. "Right, Ezra!"

Hera turned before she leaned in to whisper at Kanan. "Maybe this group isn't who we first thought they were."


	32. Now They Know

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A secret may just be out.

The Ghost flew toward the spices mills, but it was taking awhile. That was good since Halftail was far from ready for action. He had done a lot earlier that day, but he knew that for them the work was never done. He had noticed that Keen had inched closer and closer to him as well. He wasn't sure if Keen wanted to speak with him or if Keen just didn't want to stand with Bluefeather anymore.

“Why do you guys do this," wondered Keen as he looked upward. 

Halftail frowned as he looked back to the pup. "Why do you think that we do what we do?"

Keen seemed a bit surprised that Halftail had answered his question with a question. "I guess because you're all so kind and you care about one another," he answered although it was clear he was just guessing.

Keen looked back up at Halftail and Halftail purred. "We're a family and although we don't have a lot, we still want to make life better for others. We all had great lives before the Empire, and so did everyone else. No one deserves to die at the hands of anyone, let alone at the hands of the Empire.”

“I lost my family to the empire," confessed Keen as a growl rolled in his throat.

Halftail blinked his eyes. "What about Bluefeather?"

Keen shook his head as tears shown in his eyes. "She's my mother's littermate. She was the only one left after..." He trailed off as he rose to his paws and strode away. Halftail watched, wanting to go after him, but he quickly realizing he didn't know what to say. 

“He'll be alright," assured Adlerleaf as she bounded over to Halftail's side. 

Halftail turned and looked over to Adlerleaf with surprise in his eyes. "Did you know?"

Adlerleaf looked in the direction that Keen had disappeared before nodding slowly. "Yeah, I knew," she sighed as she hung her head. "I heard him speaking with Bluefeather. Apparently he lost his family to the Empire, his mother and his father."

Halftail knew how it felt to lose those that he loved. He knew that Keen was a good pup, he just needed some guidance. However, Halftail wasn't sure if he was the one to guide Keen or not. 

“We're almost here," announced Swifttail as he struggled forward, nearly limping as bad as Bichfoot usually did.

Halftail narrowed his eyes. "I don't think so. You can barely walk. How do you think you'll be able to do any good in a fight," he chided harshly as his sub of a tail lashed.

Swifttail looked like he wanted to argue, but he knew that arguing with his father would get him nowhere, except into an argument. "Alright, but who's going to take my place?”

“I will," answered Bluefeather as she took a step forward, her eyes gleaming with determination.

Swifttail plastered his ears against his head in defiance. "We can't even begin to trust you," Swifttail argued as the fur along his shoulders bristled. 

Bluefeather looked over to Halftail. Halftail didn't trust her either, but they couldn't be one crew member down. "Don't worry, Swifttail. I'll make sure that she doesn't step out of line."

Bluefeather passed both of the toms with her tail kinked over her back. "I won't." Her voice was tense as she passed them and Halftail knew that she didn't trust them anymore than they trusted her. 

Kanan came by with Zeb and Ezra at his side. Halftail saw Molis and Birchfoot following. "Are you coming, Halftail," asked Molis as he stopped at his side. 

Halftail bunched his muscles. "Yes, I am. Swifttail is staying behind, but Bluefeather will accompany us," he answered.

“Bluefeather," echoed Molis as he smiled a bit. He seemed like he was the only one that was actually alright with Halftail bringing her along. "I can look after her if you want?"

Halftail had no idea why he would offer, but he wasn't about to ask. As long as he didn’t have to look after her. “That would be great. I'm going to stay with Keen to make sure that he doesn't get into any more trouble," he meowed as he strode forward and positioned himself at the hanger, sitting close to Keen’s side.

They landed and Halftail leaped out with Kanan at his side. Behind him, Keen followed, his paws feeling the vibrations of the ground. "How are we going to help them," wondered Keen as he kept close to Halftail's haunch.

Halftail scented the air with his jaws parted. It scented of Wookies, but also Stormtroopers. "I don't know yet, but stay close to me," ordered Halftail as he surged forward, his paws pushed under his stomach and he propelled himself forward on agile paws. 

He made it pretty far before he saw the blasters almost rain on him. He pushed Keen behind him and darted behind some crates. The rest of the crew filed behind him and Halftail felt Kanan beside him. "I was hoping that they would have let us have a little more time,"snapped Adlerleaf.

Molis chuckled as he looked over to the she-cat. "We can't always get what we want," he pointed out before a blaster surged over his head and he ducked back down, nearly falling next to Bluefeather.

Keen suddenly looked up as TIEs surged overhead. Kanan sighed. "We're going to have to get creative," he muttered as he looked over to Halftail.

Halftail tried to look over to the Wookies. They were caught between a wall and a large stone. There was no way that things would all work out, at least not this way. He turned his head and swore that he saw Bine. However, when he blinked his eyes, she was gone.

Kanan stretched out a hand and he rested it against Halftail's shoulder, bringing his attention back to the situation at hand. "I'm going on."

Halftail felt him through the force and fear pulsed through him. "We're doing that," he muttered as he lowered his head into his shoulders, struggling to breathe for a heartbeat "The secret will be out."

“Do what," asked Ezra as he looked around madly. "What secret?"

Kanan turned over to Ezra. "I'm about to let everyone in on the secret," he answered before he blinked at Halftail. "Are you coming? You don't have to."

Halftail puffed out his fur. "I can't let you do it alone. We are family and family sticks together," he pointed out as he stretched out a paw and grasped Kanan's hand in his paw

Kanan smiled before he and Halftail stepped out from behind the crates. The shots continued, but they were easily able to dodge them. 

“Wait," snapped one of the senior officers as he raised a hand to halt the rest of the attack.

The shower of blaster fire stopped, but Halftail and Kanan weren't finished. Kanan quickly took out two parts from his belt and connected them to make his lightsaber. Halftail used the force to pull his lightsaber from his his belt. He forced it to his tail since he usually walked on four legs now. His shortened tail curled around it and he drew the lightsaber in front of his face so that it could protect him from anymore blasts.

The blasterfire continued, but now they were able to deflect it and send it back to the troopers. The group ran behind them and nudged the Wookies so that they would make it toward where they needed to be. Once Halftail thought that everyone was finished darting behind him, he drew back a bit. However, one of the blasts managed to catch the side of his flank. 

He fell a bit as he gritted his teeth in pain. He turned to look at his clank and quickly realized that it wasn't deep. It had barely grazed his side. He would still be able to move and it wouldn't need serious stitching.

“Are you coming," barked Molis as he surged over to Halftail. He sunk his teeth into Halftail's scruff, helping him forward. "You were shot!"

Halftail shook his head and pulled his scruff from Molis's mouth. "It's okay," assured Halftail as he broke into a painful trot. "How's Bluefeather?"

Molis leaped as a blaster nearly caught him on the ear. "She's helping out with a mother Wookie. I think that you underestimate her," he replied as he jumped again.

Halftail wouldn't say that, but arguing now wasn't the best plan of attack. He just shut his muzzle and continued forward as blood dripped down his pelt. He panted madly as he began to tire. He wasn't going to be able to keep up for very long. 

The Ghost began to rise and Molis leaped into the back, skidding a bit. Halftail leaped, but only half of him made it. He tried to hook his hind legs under the hanger door, but he the blood oozing from his flank made it slippery and impossible for him to pull himself up. His front claws began to slip and he swore under his breath as his stomach dropped in fear.

He closed his eyes as the Ghost began to rise even and prepared to fall. Before he could, strong teeth clamped onto his shoulder. He opened his eyes to find Bluefeather with her teeth grasped against his shoulder and muscles braced. Surprise shot through him. "Bluefeather," he meowed in utter and total shock.

Bluefeather dragged him backwards and managed to haul him in the hanger. "That flank wound may not be deep, but it's certainly bleeding," barked Bluefeather as she turned her head. She growled something that Halftail didn't quite catch, but one of the Wookies sure did. The one that Bluefeather had called to, turned and darted back into the ship. He came back just as quickly, growling and huffing from behind Birchfoot.

“I got it! I got it!" Birchfoot turned and hissed at the Wookie before he drew over to Halftail. He pressed a paw against Halftail's flank, drawing back when Halftail flinched in pain. "It's not deep, but I still need to clean it and bandage it."

Halftail nodded before Swifttail and Keen bounded over to Birchfoot. Swifttail had some leaves, a syringe, and bandages in his mouth. He dropped all three of them in front of Halftail. Birchfoot began to chew the herbs and he spat them into Halftail's wound. Halftail cringed a bit in agony, but he sighed heavily as the pain began to ebb.

“What's the syringe for," asked Bluefeather as she hovered above Halftail a bit. 

Swifttail looked over to his father. "He wasn't able to take his medication this morning so I thought I would bring it to him before he forgot," he meowed with bright eyes.

Halftail was grateful that Swifttail hadn't said that if Halftail had his way, he wouldn't take it. He had no desire to take his medication. However, he wasn't about to let anyone know that. "Thank you, Swifttail." He took the syringe in his shaky paws and injected the liquid into his vein. Once he was finished, he threw it aside and spat into his chest fur. 

It didn't take long before he felt more power surge through his blood while Swifttail and Birchfoot pressed against him, helping him stand. One of the Wookies came over and lowered down, wrapping Halftail in a grateful hug. Halftail wasn't sure why, but he wasn't about to argue it. The Wookie drew back and let out a growl. Halftail copied him and the Wookie smiled. 

“Looks like you made a new friend," chuckled Kanan as he came from above with Ezra and a young Wookie. The young Wookie howled and darted toward his father. His father howled back and they hugged. 

Halftail purred before Swifttail strode over to him. He hugged him close and Swifttail purred back to him. "I'm so thankful that we're still together," murmured Swifttail into his father's ear.

Halftail felt the same way. He loved him so much. but it was sometimes hard to say and express. He just knew that Bine would be so proud of him for at least trying.

They arrived at a small station that the Wookies would be more than happy to stay on until they could travel back to their home. They bid their farewells before Halftail realized that they were taking Bluefeather, Ezra, and Keen back home to Lathol. 

He gulped before he strode over to Bluefeather, who was speaking to Keen quietly. He came up to her and dipped his head in appreciation. "Thank you, Bluefeather. You saved my life. If you wouldn't have done that I'm sure I would have fallen."

Bluefeather looked at her paws. "It was nothing. I couldn't let you fall or anyone fall."

Halftail nodded slowly, feeling that he may have misjudged the blue furred she-wolf. After all, she had just saved his life and now he was afraid that they were going to have to say goodbye.


	33. Crew Is A Family

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It’s time for some hard goodbyes, or is it?

They arrived at Lothal and Halftail felt a strange tugging at his heart as he saw Keen stride out of the Ghost. Bluefeather followed, but she looked backwards and smiled at Molis. Molis smiled back at Bluefeather. Swifttail and Adlerleaf looked at Molis in surprise and he quickly looked away, huffing something under his breath.

Halftail sighed heavily as he pushed forward to look at Keen. Keen looked upward, his eyes unreadable. "Thank you for saving my life," barked Keen as he pushed his head against Halftail's chest, avoiding his hairless neck from where he had had been burned.

Halftail purred as he lowered his head over Keen's shoulder. Once he gave him a light squeeze, he looked to Bluefeather. "Thank you for saving my life. I suppose we're all even in some sorts."

Bluefeather chuckled in amusement. "I suppose so. However, you did save Keen and for that I will be forever grateful. I don't know what would happen if I would have lost him."

Keen blushed as Bluefeather licked him between the ears. Molis strode forward and blinked his eyes at Bluefeather. He looked like he wanted to say something, but he just couldn't. "May Starbound light your path," he managed to choke out.

Bluefeather's eyes glowed as she met Molis’s gaze. "And yours as well."

She turned and strode away with Keen and Ezra at her side. Halftail took a step back and Birchfoot strode up to him, half gazing at his wound and half just wanting to speak with him. "You're going to miss Keen more than you're going to admit," breathed Birchfoot.

Halftail bit his tongue. "I suppose.” It was hard to admit that, though. He was sure there was something special about the young wolf, but Halftail doubted that it mattered now. He sighed as he turned and strode back into the Ghost, feeling hollow and numb. His paws tingled and he realized he needed a second dose of his serum.

He growled, knowing how dependent he was growing on it. He didn't want anyone to know how bad it was getting, so it would just be easier if he did it himself. He strode to his and Kanan's room. He rummaged through the supplies that Bluefeather, Keen, and Ezra had given him. He suddenly twitched his ears when he realized that one was missing. His ears twitched and so did his nose. Keen's scent wafted through the room. He had been the one to go into the room and take the syringe. Why? He didn't need it. 

However, that could make all the difference later so he decided that he should go and get it. He padded forward and bumped into Kanan's leg. Halftail looked up. "Sorry. My mind is wandering," he confessed. However, for a Jedi the mind should never be allowed to wander.

Kanan nodded in understanding. "My mind is troubled as well. I think that I need to go and speak with Ezra one last time. I'm going to offer to train him as a Jedi."

Surprise glowed in Halftail's eyes. "You are? Do you think that Keen has any Jedi tendencies?" He always wanted to train a padawan of his own. He had thought about training his son, but he was sure that would be frowned upon. He could train two Padawans at one time he supposed. There was nothing in the rules against training two Padawans, at least not now. It wouldn’t have been allowed with the old Jedi ways, but those ways were gone. It was time for new traditions to take place.

Kanan sighed as he rubbed a hand over his face. "Are you thinking about training him and Swifttail?"

Halftail flicked his tail. "I'd probably only train Swifttail half the time. He’d be a healer as well as a Jedi," he murmured, knowing how important healers were to the crew now.

"Then come on. Keen and Ezra won't wait around forever and I'm not even sure that they'll agree," he pointed out before he strode toward the hanger with Halftail following. His tail waved in the air as he tried to think about what to tell both Bluefeather and Keen. She would have to agree for this to work. She was the closest thing to a mother that he had. 

Adlerleaf looked up from where she was sharing tongues with Swifttail. "Where do you two think that you're going," she inquired with a twitch of her ear.

Halftail bit his lip. "Don't worry, we'll be back," he meowed with a dip of his head.

Swifttail's eyes gleamed as he purred warmly. "Tell Keen that he would be a wonderful addition to our crew," he meowed and Adlerleaf purred in agreement.

They could be sometimes juvenile, but Halftail didn't care. They meant well. He bunched his shoulders before he broke into a trot as he headed out of the hanger. Kanan darted after him and Halftail managed to follow the tracks that Bluefeather and Ezra had left. Also, the scent clung in the air like a cloud, at least it did for Halftail. 

They finally stopped at a strange building that was going to be a pain in the tail for Halftail to climb. "I've seen worse," muttered Kanan before he began to climb the ladder.

Halftail had as well. He grasped the ladder firmly in his claws and began to haul himself up. His side ached from the movement, but he wasn't about to admit it. He didn't need anyone to think him as weak. Once they made their way up, Halftail pushed himself in. He saw Bluefeather and Keen in the corner while Ezra was speaking to them.

Halftail cleared his throat as he let out a growl while they all three turned to look at him. "Halftail," murmured Keen as his whiskers twitched in utter surprise.

Halftail forced a smile. "I believe that you have something that belongs to me," meowed Halftail as he sat down, his half tail curling around his paws.

Keen blushed while Bluefeather looked at him with unblinking eyes. "Is Halftail telling the truth, Keen? Did you take something that was his?"

Keen nodded as he strode forward. He lifted his wing and the syringe fell on the ground. Luckily, it didn't break and Halftail was grateful. Halftail curled his claws around it and pulled it close to him. "Thank you," he meowed evenly.

‘Why would you take that, Keen," scolded Bluefeather as her hackles rose. "You've seen what can happen to him if he doesn't have that!"

Keen ducked his head in shame. "I know, but I didn't think he'd miss one. Besides, I wanted something to remember him by."

Halftail looked at the syringe before flicking the tip. Once some drops of the golden liquid dripped out, he plunged it into his vein. He grimaced in pain and he saw Keen almost vomit. He drew it back before he passed it over to Keen. "You can keep it now." Keen went to grab it but he pulled it back. "Or I can offer you something better."

“Something better," echoed Keen as his head tilted in surprise. "Like what?"

Halftail looked at Bluefeather who looked as confused as Keen. "I want to train you as a Jedi. I can feel how strong the force is with you, Keen. I think that with some training you could be a powerful Jedi."

“A Jedi," gasped Bluefeather in terror as she stepped over Keen protectively. Keen gazed out from under her legs with narrowed eyes. "The Jedi were hunted and killed for sport by the Empire. I won't let that happen to Keen!"

Halftail struggled to keep himself cool and composed. He dipped his head respectfully. "I won't do anything that you're both not agreed on. However, if you trained with me, you may stay on the crew. You could help others who are being terrorized by the Empire on a daily basis. You would do more good than most others could never even imagine."

Keen suddenly stepped out from Bluefeather's legs. "I will, Halftail."

“Keen-" began Bluefeather, but Keen turned and raised one of his wings to cut her off.

“My parents died because of the Empire. Your sister died because of the Empire. If I can do anything to stop that from happening to someone else, then I want to do it," he barked, firmly but respectfully. "Please?"

Bluefeather growled as her head thrashed from side to side. "You’re sure this is what you want,” she inquired.

Keen nodded his head vigorously. “More than anything,” he breathed.

Bluefeather sighed as she thrust a paw against the ground. “Fine! I know that Bluebird would be very pleased if you would protect others like she did."

“And Sparn?"

Bluefeather kneeled down a bit and touched her nose to Keen's ear. "And Sparn."

Keen turned and looked up at Halftail, his chest puffing out in pride. "I'll do it!"

Halftail purred warmly as he licked Keen behind the ears. "I promise to train you and try to make you the best Jedi that you can be," he vowed.

Keen's tail wagged as his bright blue eyes glowed. "And I promise to always try my hardest," he promised before he turned to look at Bluefeather. "You're coming with us, aren't you?"

Bluefeather sighed heavily. Halftail took a step forward her and her eyes flickered a bit in distrust. He had just turned her nephew against her. "There is plenty of room. Besides, we could always use a wolf like you onboard. I also haven't seen Molis smile like that in a long time."

Bluefeather perked up at that and Halftail saw what was happening. He had gone through the same thing long ago. "I'll go, but I don't know how helpful I'll be," she argued.

Halftail chuckled as his whiskers twitched. "I'm sure that you'll be great, Bluefeather."

“Are you two coming," Ezra suddenly asked from the entrance.

Bluefeather and Keen exchanged a glance before they darted forward. Halftail drew in a breath as Keen and Bluefeather launched themselves in the air, flying overhead. He purred in amusement before he clambered down the building, passing both Ezra and Kanan.

Keen dive-bombed Halftail while he tried to hook his claws gingerly into Keen's flank. Keen dodged him and Halftail knew what great reflexes he possessed. Bluefeather suddenly lowered down and picked up Halftail by the scruff. She lifted him up and he yelped in terror before he forced Bluefeather to lower him down. She rumbled in amusement before she lashed her tail against his face.

They made their way back to the Ghost and Halftail saw Molis waiting for them. Once he saw Bluefeather, he let out what was half a bark and half a hyena yip. Bluefeather landed and strode up to him, wagging her tail. "Do you think you could show me some of those moves that you were talking about?"

Molis smiled broadly. "Of course! I'm sure with those strong legs you'll be a natural," he assured as he bounded forward with Bluefeather at his side.

Once Keen landed Halftail. nudged him aboard. Adlerleaf and Swifttail were still laying down and they opened their eyes as they scented Keen. "Look who's back," purred Swifttail as he flicked a paw toward Keen.

Keen bowed a bit. "Yeah, I'm back. Looks like it's harder than you thought to get rid of me, Swifttail."

Swifttail rose to his paws and bounded toward him, cuffing his ear gently. Keen stumbled before he surged for Swifttail, rearing on his hind legs and pushing Swifttail backwards a bit. Swifttail curled his tail around Keen's hind leg and pulled. He fell on his back and he kicked his leg against Swifttail's chest to keep him from coming any closer.

Halftail purred as he shook his head affectionately. "Families, they fight together and play together."

Birchfoot limped forward and sat beside Halftail, his eyes glowing. "Now this is what being a crew and a family is all about."


	34. Weapons Interception

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> An unorthodox plan to complete a job may actually work.

A few weeks later. a mission hadn't gone according to plan. They had gotten away, but barely. “See, I told you that we'd make it," assured Kanan, now that everyone was in the cockpit.

“We barely made it out," pointed out Bluefeather as she rolled her eyes. "But, if you mean barely, then yes, we made it with plenty of fur to spare."

Kanan ignored her bad attitude, but the rest of the crew wasn't finished. "You said we'd make it out with the supplies," pointed out Sabine as she turned to look at Kanan.

“We were close," offered Kanan with a fake smile.

Halftail rolled his eyes. "Close doesn't pay," he pointed out stiffly. He was a lot more cautious with credits since he used twice as much medication as he used to. 

“It doesn't place food on the table," added Ezra.

“Or fuel in the tanks," muttered Hera as she added to the heat that Kanan was beginning to feel.

Kanan crossed his arms against his chest and sighed. "There's always what Vasago suggested."

Adlerleaf and Birchfoot exchanged a glance. Halftail always wished he could tell what they were thinking, but he supposed it must have been a twin thing. "I don't trust Vasago," meowed Adlerleaf with slitted eyes. "He is a shady character at best."

Swifttail shook his head gravely. "Perhaps, but he has kept the Ghost flying for many moons. Besides, it sounds a lot safer than Kanan's last plan."

“Hey," snapped Kanan as he narrowed his eyes at Swifttail.

Swifttail shrugged, and before things could escalate, Hera broke in. "I think that it's our best option. All in favor?”

Everyone except for Molis, Adlerleaf, and Birchfoot raised their hands, tails, paws, or whatever else they could. Halftail dipped it's head. "It's settled then," he meowed as he looked to Hera. "You know what to do."

Hera smiled as she forced the Ghost forward. "Here we go."

As they entered hyperspace, Halftail turned and strode into the hanger. Swifttail followed with Keen at his side. "Could we do some quick battle training," asked Swifttail hopefully.

Halftail dipped his head. "Sure! I'll demonstrate and then you two can practice with each other," he meowed as he stretched out before he leaped down with some help from the ladder. Keen flew down while Swifttail leaped down the ladder, just like his father had done. He puffed out his fur as he strode over to Swifttail before Keen landed. Keen plastered his wings against his side as he strode forward. 

Halftail looked over and flicked his tail to Swifttail. "Stand across from me and I'll show you something simple that can be quite a game changer in a claw to claw battle." Swifttail obeyed before Halftail surged forward. He thrust his son's paws out from under him with a quick swipe before he butted his head against Swifttail's chest. Swifttail fell backwards, the wind knocked out of him. He coughed heavily as he struggled to breathe.

“I want to try," yipped Keen as he darted forward, helping Swifttail to his paws. 

Swifttail let out another harsh cough. "That hurt, but I can see how that could be used," he rasped as he shook his head to clear it.

Halftail smiled. "Just be very careful when you practice with each other. I don't need anyone winded while we're traveling or they'll think something is up."

The two dipped their heads before Halftail allowed them to practice against each other. He watched for a while, but once they had the general idea down, he decided to go and speak with Birchfoot. He found him in his usual spot and saw Birchfoot sorting some herbs into piles. 

“Birchfoot," meowed Halftail.

Birchfoot turned his head and kinked his tail over his back. "Oh, hello, Halftail. Do you need something? Are you here for your injection?"

Halftail shook his head. He had actually already done it. "I was wondering if you wanted to come with us?"

Birchfoot's eyes widened a bit. "Why do you want me to come? I'll just slow you down," he muttered as he turned back to his pile of herbs.

“You don't slow us down," scolded Halftail as his tail lashed. "Who told you that?"

Birchfoot blinked his eyes. "No one told me. It's just a known fact," he reported as he turned his nose upward in the air. "Besides, I'm of more use here."

“Are you sure," pressed Halftail as he leaned forward. He wanted to get Birchfoot out some more, but if he really didn't want to go, then Halftail wouldn't force him. "I really think that it would be good for you."

Birchfoot wrinkled his nose and shook his head. "Thanks for offering, but no thanks. You can take Swifttail in my place. I'm sure that he would love to come."

Halftail smiled and dipped his head. "Alright, if you're sure." Once he was sure that Birchfoot wasn't going to change his mind, he turned and strode from the room. He passed Adlerleaf and dipped his head. "Are you coming?"

“Of course," she meowed as her ears flicked. She suddenly stiffened a bit. "Is, er, Swifttail coming?"

Halftail purred. "Yes," he answered warmly. "Is that alright?"

Adlerleaf nodded vigorously. "That is perfect, thank you," she murmured as she strode back down the hallway at Halftail's side.

It wasn't long before the Ghost touched down. The hanger door opened and they all went with their separate groups, at least it seemed separate. Ezra, Keen, and Swifttail were sitting together with Chopper. Chopper fell onto Swifttail and Swifttail puffed as he arched his shoulders and hissed at Chopper in mock anger.

Molis darted into the transporter, falling sideways a bit with his tongue sticking out from his mouth. He then composed himself and strode forward toward the back with Bluefeather and Adlerleaf. They were in charge of keeping the droids back there, just in case the one droid they were looking for decided to make a break for it. 

Sabine and Zeb came in next. They sat in the second row in the middle. They sat quietly but made sure that those around them knew that they were traveling together as friends. They would be the translator for when the droids were banned. At least Sabine would. Zeb was more there for muscle. 

Kanan and Halftail were last. They strode behind Ezra's group. Halftail nodded to Swifttail. They would be in charge of arguing. Swifttail could certainly argue when he wanted to and so could Kanan, in the right mood. Sometimes banter was good and sometime Kanan really meant the words that he said. Now it was all staged and acted out. 

Then, the ones that they were really after came on. An Imperial agent, and the one who had the information that she needed, walked past. However, there was a major barrier between them; language. Once they sat down, the creature began to speak, but the officer couldn't understand him. The women called for a translator and a protocol droid was followed by an astromech droid. A growl rolled in Halftail's throat. This was a thrill of a very different kind of hunt than the ones that he was used to.

They started on their journey, and Halftail waited until he was needed. Once Zeb gave the signal, Chopper began to poke Ezra to annoy him. Once Ezra 'had enough' of it he pushed Chopper. Chopper shocked him and he fell backwards. Swifttail and Keen snarled at Chopper and Chopper shocked them both at a low voltage, causing them to leap backwards and act in more pain than they really were.

“Hey, control your droid," snapped Kanan as he looked over at Ezra.

Ezra looked back at Kanan. "Mind your own business, old man!"

Halftail lashed his tail. "Don't speak to my friend like that! You and your pets are a disruption to this whole group," he reported as he looked at Swifttail.

Chopper beeped and tried to shock both Ezra and Kanan at the same time. Kanan stood up and looked to the droid who was transporting them. "Hey droid! Isn't there rules about droids being in the transporter area?"

The droid turned and gave what appeared to be a nod. "I'm afraid your droid will have to go in the back," the droid told Ezra.

Ezra narrowed his eyes and pointed to the Imperial's droids. "Then if mine does, then so does theirs," he snapped as he crossed his arms like a pouty child.

The Imperial officer's eyes widened. "I am here on Imperial business," she argued.

“It doesn't matter," the droid reported as he turned around. "They had to go in the back."

Keen jumped down next to Chopper. "Don't worry, I'll stay with you," he barked before he made sure that the other two droids followed as well. Once they were in the back, he looked up at Bluefeather. "The plan is in motion."

Bluefeather rumbled as she allowed the droids to pass her. "Very good. This is going a lot better than I thought," she confessed as she sat and curled her tail around her paws.

The rest of the travel was very quiet except for the occasional odd chatter. Once they landed, everyone exited in their separate groups. They pretended to leave, but they all just looped around, waiting to find where they should be going.

Halftail heard Sabine whisper 'seven' in Ezra's ear. He stalked forward as well as Adlerleaf, Keen, and Swifttail, since they could fit. They stalked behind numerous crates before they stopped at a vent. They all traveled through the vents with Ezra leading. Once they made it to where they wanted to be, they dropped out and opened the door. Kanan radioed Hera and she dropped the Ghost right where it needed to be.

“Guard here," ordered Halftail as he looked at Swifttail and Adlerleaf. "Just yowl if anything comes before we're ready."

They both dipped their heads in understand before making their way to where the supplies were. "What do you think we're stealing," wondered Keen as he looked over to Halftail.

Halftail shrugged. "I'm not actually sure. It could be almost anything. I hope that it's something that will land us a lot of credits," he answered as he followed Kanan.

“There is is," announced Molis as he darted over to one of the crates, sniffing the outside. When he couldn't detect anything, he drew back and shook his head. "It could be anything, but I'm thinking that it's weapons."

Keen reared on his hind legs. "I wonder which kinds. I'm hoping that they're heavy duty ones."

Zeb decided to open the crate. Once he did, he stumbled backwards with terror in his eyes. "It can't be," he gasped as he dropped the top and nearly stumbled. 

Sabine drew forward and picked on up, aiming it at Halftail's chest. Halftail darted behind Kanan as his ears twitched. "Wow, look at these! They were banned by the senate."

“And I know why," rasped Zeb as he and Molis exchanged a glance. 

Molis whimpered a bit. "I really don't think we should sell these," he argued as his head shook madly.

“We can't just leave them here," argued Keen as he reared on his hind legs to look at one of the weapons. He touched one gingerly with his paw before he drew back.

Halftail stepped out from Halftail and nodded. "Keen's right. It's better in Vasago's hands than in the Empire's," he pointed out as he sunk his claws into one of them and pushed it with Keen's help. "Now, let's go before they find out that we pulled one over on them.”

Kanan helped Halftail and Keen as they took the lead. "Halftail is right. Now, pick up the pace and grab a crate. They'll be here sooner than we think."

The rest of the group took crates, but Halftail suddenly stopped as his nose twitched. "I think we're about to have that company, now!"


	35. All This Trouble For Weapons

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Buying and selling weapons comes with its’ dangers.

Stormtroopers appeared in front of Halftail. He was about to surge forward, but before he could, Zeb and Molis beat him to it. Just as he was about to yowl something, Kanan shot him a look, warning him against it. Halftail clamped his jaws tightly shut and he shook his head gravely. 

He watched as they began to speak. He couldn't make out what they were saying, but apprehension made his fur prickle. It seemed to be taking forever. One of the troopers went to open the crate, but before he could, Halftail threw him back into other troopers. They fell quickly, but were quick to get back to their paws.

“Run," yowled Molis as he surged forward as he pushed his against Bluefeather's crate. 

The rest of the group pushed their crates toward the Ghost with the troopers behind them. "Hurry. Hurry," muttered Halftail as he broke into a run, struggling to keep on his hind legs. Keen flew over him and pushed from above, dodging the blasters easily. It was a good thing that Stormtroopers couldn't aim very well.

When they finally made it to the Ghost, Swifttail and Adlerleaf helped them pull the crates in. Once everyone was in the hanger the door closed and the Ghost took off. Halftail saw Keen suck in a breath of relief. Halftail did the same and he sat as he licked a paw before he drew it over his head. 

He suddenly turned his head and saw the two protocol droids that had been on the shipment earlier. "What are they doing here," he wondered as his tail tip twitched to and fro.

Bluefeather strode over to them. "Thought they could be worth some extra credits," she answered as she ran one of her wings gingerly over the protocol droid. 

The protocol droid jumped. "How dare you sell me. I am C3PO of human cuber relations."

Halftail rolled his eyes as he drew near. "That name sounds familiar," he murmured, but he could not figure out where he had heard that name before. He must have not been that important, so he dropped it before he turned to see Zeb arguing with Kanan.

“I'd prefer we not sell those weapons," Zeb told Kanan with worry glittering in his eyes. 

Molis seemed to agree and Halftail knew why. He knew that he, Kanan, Hera, and Bine had been the only ones to know. Halftail didn't want to tell anyone if Zeb and Molis weren't alright with it, but he knew that everyone was becoming interested, especially Swifttail. 

Halftail decided that maybe he could try and ease their minds. "You know, I'm sure that us taking these will have saved numerous lives!"

Molis muttered something into his chest fur that Halftail couldn't catch. He was pretty sure that it was a sharp comment, so he bit back the urge to say something back to him, struggling to control himself.

“We found out what they were planning to do with those weapons," blurted out Adlerleaf as she tried to make Molis and Zeb feel better in another way.

“And I'm sure it was even more awful then what Vasago will do against the Empire," meowed Halftail as he gave her a pointed nod.

Sabine nodded as she slid down the ladder a bit. "They are just prototypes that the Empire would use for mass genocide if they had the chance," she added as she slid down the ladder and onto the ground.

“See," pointed out Kanan as he rested a hand on Zeb's shoulder. "It's better that we have them then the Empire.” He turned and padded back toward the cockpit. 

Zeb still seemed guarded and so did Molis. Halftail touched his nose to Molis's shoulder. "I promise that it'll be alright," he assured before he padded back down to the hanger level and strode over to Swifttail.

“What's wrong with Zeb and Molis? They seem to be really against these weapons," he pointed out as his ears twitched.

Halftail just sighed a bit. "We all have things that have happened in our pasts that are hard to talk about and this is theirs," he meowed simply.

That wasn't a good enough answer for Swifttail. "Do you know what happened," he pressed. Halftail grunted, knowing where this was going.

Halftail nudged his head against Swifttail's shoulder. "How about you go and help out Birchfoot? Don't you think that he might need some help?"

Swifttail hung his head. "I suppose so," he muttered before he padded forward and bounded up the ladder. Halftail watched him go before he turned back to the weapons. He looked at each one and he remembered seeing the Empire killing Zeb's people. That had rocked him to the core when he realized how cruel the Empire could truly be.

“Do you really think that giving them to Vasago is really the right thing," murmured Molis and Halftail nearly jumped. He hadn't heard Molis creeping up on him.

Halftail didn't want to lie, but he wanted to assure his friend. "I have no idea," he confessed with gentle eyes. "I know that he'll do better than the Empire.”

Molis didn't look like he believed it, but he nodded anyway. "I just don't want it to be used for what it had been used before," he muttered as he drew back, his ears plastered against his head. 

“I know," sympathized Halftail as he looked up to Molis. "But, we do need to make sure that we keep this thing flying and the only way to do that is to keep stealing and selling goods that used to belong to the Empire."

Molis shuffled his paws. "I know that," he grumbled as he trailed over toward Bluefeather.

Halftail sighed, hoping that he or Zeb wouldn't stop them from selling the weapons. "Dad, do you think that giving them to Vasago is the right thing to do?"

Halftail purred as he turned to look at his son. "I'm not sure. You’re starting to sound like Molis."

Swifttail ducked his head. "I'm just wondering. I heard you two talking and I don't want to give them to Vasago if he's going to not do the right thing with them."

Halftail licked his son between the ears. "I can't promise anything, but I do know that it's better with him than the Empire," he answered before he felt the ground quake and he realized that they were landing.

Kanan suddenly came and smiled at the group. "Alright, everyone. It's time to get those weapons ready."

Halftail flicked his tail to Swifttail and Adlerleaf. They strode over to help him with one of the crates and they began pushing it out the hanger door. Molis and Bluefeather grabbed another crate and they followed them on the dusty surface of Lothal. Halftail knew where Vasago would be. However, now he really wasn't too interested in giving over the weapons. He had a feeling that something bad was going to happen. He could feel it in his stomach.

“You okay," whispered Adlerleaf as she looked past Swifttail to Halftail. "You're slowing down a bit. Do you need to take our injection?"

Halftail shook his head to clear it. "I'm alright," he lied in a silky tone as he tried to make it seem convincing. "My mind was just wandering, that's all."

Adlerleaf didn't seem convinced, but Swifttail started talking, so it focused her mind away from Halftail. Halftail looked away to the dusty landscape and continued to push the heavy weapons. They soon made it to Vasago's camp and Halftail heard Molis let out a growl from behind him.

“I thought I told you to control your pets," snapped Vasago as he narrowed his eyes at Molis.

The fur along Halftail's spine stood on end. Before Halftail could say anything, Kanan spoke up. "They're not pets, Vasago," he reminded him in a tense tone. "They talk and feel just like us."

“Yeah," growled Molis as he glared at Vasago. "And if you're not careful I'll make you feel just what my claws can do!"

Vasago seemed a bit taken back and Bluefeather broke in to calm him down. "Ignore him. He is just a little angry and doesn't seem to realize what he's saying." She faced Molis sternly, her eyes blazing. 

Molis drew back a bit, shuffling his paws with his claws extended. "Yeah, I don't realize what I'm saying," he grumbled too low for Vasago to hear him. 

Vasago took the crate away from Halftail and opened it, eyeing the weapons in awe. "They're wonderful," he murmured as he picked one up. "And so powerful. Do you know what they can do?"

“We're fully aware," growled Zeb as he narrowed his eyes at Vasago.

Kanan shot Zeb a wavering glance and Halftail scented the tenseness in the air. He was afraid if anyone said a wrong word, someone else would lunge. He just hoped that he wouldn't be the one to lunge first.

“Are you going to buy them or what," Molis suddenly snapped and Halftail saw Swifttail jab him harshly with his hind leg. You never made someone think that you wanted them to buy something. That would make them pay less and right now they needed as many credits as possible.

Vasago shrugged. "Maybe I will, maybe I won't."

“We have someone else who is interested if you're not," lied Kanan as he crossed his arms across his chest.

Adlerleaf tilted her head. "We do?" Halftail kicked Adlerleaf hard in the haunch. Adlerleaf yelped in pain before she nodded. "We do!"

Halftail wanted to just shrink. This was just getting worse and worse. He thought about just giving up, but that wasn’t a possibility. He just held his ground and kept his eyes unreadable, not that Vasago would ever be able to read his eyes. 

“You have to think about how much those are willing to pay for it," muttered Vasago after a while as he continued to gaze at the weapons.

Ezra stood straight. "First, you have to buy them from us," he pointed out as he crossed his arms over his chest. He was clearly losing his patients with Vasago as well.

Before anyone could say anything else, Keen reared on his hind legs and pointed his wings into the air. "What's that," he inquired as his ears twitched.

Halftail looked up and gasped as he saw a huge Imperial ship. "Kanan," he meowed, but Kanan was already looking in the direction and he seemed as worried as Halftail was.

“Where are you going," growled Bluefeather as she watched Vasago and his goonies board a land speeder. 

Vasago huffed in anger. "We're not getting mixed up with them. You keep the weapons," he answered before he sped away. 

Halftail wanted to bolt after him, but he just shook his head. This was just more of his loss. They could sell the weapons to anyone, as long as they actually got the weapons back on the Ghost.

“Sabine, I want you to destroy these," Kanan suddenly shouted.

Swifttail twitched his ears in surprise. Clearly he was thinking the same as his father. "Why would we do that?! Don't we need to sell them?”

Kanan shook his head. "We can't risk them getting into the Empire's hands. Swifttail, help Sabine," he ordered as he pointed in the direction that Sabine had went.

Swifttail plastered his ears against his head before he bounded forward, a displeased look on his face. Halftail turned and looked at Adlerleaf and Bluefeather. "We're going to have to fight. Are you two ready?"

The two females exchanged a look before they gave stern nods. "Don't worry about us, Halftail," assured Bluefeather as her muscles tensed. "We've been itching for a fair fight."

Halftail dipped his head, knowing that they both were ready. He suddenly heard the clanking of an AT-AT walker. It drew forward and began to shoot at them. Halftail dodged easily, but he didn't need to show that he was a Jedi. Instead, he used the force to deflect the blasts away from him. 

It wasn't long before Hera came in the Ghost and fired at it. It blew up and Halftail felt the heat of the blast and he leaped backwards. He managed to dart back to his paws, but he saw a trooper pointing a blaster at him. He jumped up and grasped it with his claws before he threw it sideways. He used his strong legs to propel himself upward and sink his teeth into the neck of the trooper. He nicked the vital artery and the trooper fell easily, blood gushing from his throat.

Once he was finished, he shook the blood from his fangs. He heard another explosion and realized it was the weapons. Sabine and Swifttail were managing to destroy the weapons at a rather quick pace. He bounded forward and skidded to a halt at one of the last crates. He went to hit the self destruct on it before an officer came and kicked him hard in the chest. 

He fell backwards and coughed as the air was knocked out of him. He looked up, but he couldn't summon the strength to dart toward him. Keen and Swifttail came behind him and sunk their teeth into each of his shoulders and hauled him backwards. "Stay back here. You're not going to be able to fight him," mumbled Swifttail as he let go of his father's shoulder.

Halftail looked toward the man and growled as he took a weapon. However, Zeb was there to and he took out his weapon. "Put those down," he snarled as he readied to attack.

“I didn't know that there were any Losots left," confessed the man as he took out one of the weapons. He ignited it and Halftail remembered the sound with a jolt. It was a long time ago, but the sound still rang in his ears.

Fury lit in Zeb's eyes. "You used that to kill my people!"

“And mine," added Molis as he took a step forward, his shoulders thrown forward. 

The man just smiled and showed his teeth. "Then I will enjoy killing you two even more," he yelled as he surged forward with his weapon ready. He jabbed the electric end at Molis's chest. He fell backwards painfully with his legs folded underneath him. There was a deep burn mark on his chest and blood on his lips.

The man pushed back Zeb and went to give the killing jab. However, Halftail surged forward and knocked the man sideways. Halftail landed with a thud and the man punched him in the face. Halftail snarled in pain and struck a claw against the man's ear, nearly tearing it off of his head. 

The man cried out in pain before he took out a blaster and pointed it against Halftail's head. Halftail avoided the blaster, but he was quickly smacked in the head with the butt of the gun. Agony flashed through him and blood dripped into his eyes. He gritted his teeth and realized that the blaster was once against pressed against his temple. 

“Say goodbye, kitty cat," chuckled the man. 

That was the last thing Halftail heard before the world went black.


	36. Saving Your Life

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The fallout of the battle is one that cannot be ignored.

Rage burned in Swifttail stomach and he surged forward. He launched himself at the blaster and pushed it away from his father. The shot went off again and when Swifttail looked to his father he was limp with blood oozing from a gash on his head. Molis was limp as well and terror pulsed through Swifttail.

The man stretched out and grasped Swifttail by the throat. Swifttail struggled to breathe as he lifted him up. Pain flashed through him and so did terror. 

“Let him go," snarled Adlerleaf as she raised her paw toward the man. The man rose up a bit and he dropped Swifttail. Swifttail fell beside Halftail and looked up with round eyes. Adlerleaf released the man in shock at what she had just done.

Adlerleaf darted forward and so did Bluefeather and Keen. They all pulled the ones that were injured away from the man who was now turned on Zeb. He jabbed him some more and Zeb kneeled as pain flashed through him. He bowed his head as the man raised his weapon, ready to end Zeb's life.

“No," cried out Ezra as he raised his arms and used the force to propel the man backwards.

The Ghost suddenly landed and Swifttail blinked his eyes. "Get up," he growled as he sunk his teeth into Halftail's scruff. Halftail mumbled something before Adlerleaf helped haul Halftail to shaky and barely moving paws. 

Bluefeather and Keen helped up Molis. They were extremely careful since his chest wound was quite severe. However, Birchfoot knew what he was doing so Bluefeather knew that he would be able to help him. 

They helped their injured friends toward the Ghost. Swifttail struggled to help his father up the ramp. Adlerleaf got behind him and pushed her head against Halftail's haunch to propel him forward. They managed to push him up and the hanger door shut as soon as Kanan and Molis made it in. 

“Let me through," growled Birchfoot as he darted forward, his hind leg causing him to trip in urgency. He rose to paws once more and shook his pelt before he continued forward. "Who's the most severely injured?"

Swifttail collapsed and he flicked a shaky paw toward Molis. "Check out Molis. His chest wound is deep," confessed Swifttail as he struggled for breath.

Birchfoot nodded as he darted forward and lowered beside Molis. He turned him on his back. Molis tried to push Birchfoot away from him, but Birchfoot growled. "Hey, I can't help you if you're going to push me away. I know you're in pain, but I can help, I hope."

Molis mumbled in pain and Birchfoot turned to look at Sabine. "I need an oxygen mask. I can tell how hard it is for him to breathe," he ordered.

Sabine nodded and bounded away. Swifttail drew toward Birchfoot and saw Molis begin to thrash. "Bluefeather, could you please hold him down," he asked hopefully. 

Bluefeather nodded and strode forward. She held him down to the best of her ability, trying to make sure that she didn't hit his chest wound. "Stay still, Molis," whispered Bluefeather in Molis's ear to try and calm him down.

Birchfoot pried around the singed fur around the wound. Agony shot through Molis and he nearly bucked upward. Birchfoot lowered his muzzle toward the wound and began to clean the burned flesh. Molis tried to let out a wail, but there wasn't enough oxygen in his lungs. 

Sabine returned with an oxygen mask and a small portable machine. "Here," she exclaimed as she set it down gingerly and placed it over Molis's muzzle. She turned on the machine and he began to breathe more evenly. 

“Thank you," murmured Bluefeather as she stroked Molis's face with one of her feathery wings. 

Sabine nodded as she took a step back. Birchfoot turned back to Molis and once he pushed the dead flesh away, he saw the wound. It had just missed Molis's heart. It was close to puncturing a lung, but all it had done was maybe scarred the outside. It shouldn't have lasting effects, unless it became infected.

“He'll be alright," announced Birchfoot before he turned to look at Swifttail. "I need herbs to make a poultice as well as poppy seeds and bandages."

Swifttail turned and darted, scrambling up the ladder. Once he was gone, Kanan lowered down, gazing at Halftail with worry in his eyes. Adlerleaf saw where he was looking and she looked up, frowning. "I'm sure he'll be alright," she meowed as she strode over to him, looking at his head wound.

Kanan wasn't so sure, but he didn't say anything. He just rested a hand on Halftail's still rising and falling chest. Adlerleaf watched Halftail for a while before Swifttail returned with leaves and bandages clamped firmly in his muzzle. He romped forward and dropped them at his mentor's paws.

Birchfoot turned and picked up some leaves in his jaws and began to chew them into a sticky paste. He spat it into the wound while Molis was unconscious so he didn't thrash. Bluefeather let go of Molis's shoulders and let out a deep breath of relief. "Will he be alright?"

Birchfoot looked over to Bluefeather and dipped his head. "He should be as long as infection doesn't set in. He'll be in a lot of pain, but he should live."

Birchfoot and Swifttail then bandaged up the wound, and once they were finished, Swifttail darted over to Halftail. "Can we look at my father now," begged Swifttail as his eyes blinked hopefully.

Birchfoot nodded as he limped forward, now just dragging his leg behind him. He stopped beside Halftail and opened up one of his eyes. "Halftail can you hear me?"

Halftail let out a cough and blood oozed onto the ground from his muzzle. "Wolf-scat," he swore as pain rippled through him.

Birchfoot purred. "Yeah, you're awake." He turned Halftail's head a bit and looked at the gash on his head. It hadn't broken the skull, so that was good. It was just a flesh wound. However, the blood in Halftail's eye could be a problem. Also, the coughing of the blood would have to be examined more closely.

Swifttail drew closer to Halftail and touched his nose to his ear. "Thank Starbound you're alright," he gasped as fear showed in his eyes. "I thought you were-"

“Don't think like that," chided Halftail as he gingerly lifted a paw and rested it on Swifttail's shoulder.

Birchfoot began to lap at Halftail's wound before he applied a poultice. "You were very luck, Halftail. Your son saved your life," he mumbled between licks.

Halftail's good eye widened. "Really?"

Swifttail blushed. "You've saved my life numerous times. It's about time that I repay you," he muttered as he played with his paws. He hated attention like this to be on him.

Halftail's eyes shone. "Then I thank you, my son," he breathed before his head turned sideways and he coughed more pungent and bright crimson blood.

Birchfoot's eyes lit in concern. "This could be due to the head injury. I'm not sure if you have a concussion or not. Besides, you were attacked pretty hard trying to save Molis. There might be something that I'm missing."

Halftail shook his head a bit. "I'm sure it's nothing. Just bandage me up," he pleaded as he turned on his side and coughed some more.

Birchfoot flicked his tail tip in frustration, but he didn't argue. He tried to clean the blood from Halftail's eye and he made sure that the gash was clean and bandaged up. He listened to his lungs, but found nothing that would attribute to him coughing up blood. "Just take it easy until I can figure out what's going on."

Halftail knew that he wouldn't listen, but he dipped his head none the less. Birchfoot had saved his life on numerous occasions and just because Birchfoot didn't fight didn't mean that he wasn't important. He was a talented healer and no one would debate that. However, Halftail felt he knew himself better than Birchfoot did.

Halftail suddenly turned his head to look at Molis. "Is he okay?"

“He's getting some much needed sleep," explained Bluefeather as she looked to Halftail before dipping her head. "I'm sure when he wakes up he'll thank you."

Halftail snorted. "I don't need him to thank me. It's what a crew does for one another," he told her matter-of-factly. 

Bluefeather just chuckled before she settled beside Molis for some much needed rest. Swifttail settled beside Halftail, so close that their fur brushed. There was no doubt that half the crew couldn't make it to their rooms, so the rest of the crew just slept around them in the hanger bay. It was quite empty now without the weapon crates.

“We didn't get any credits," confessed Swifttail as he snuffled his head against the back of his father's neck, feeling for his warmth.

Halftail knew that his son was right. After all, this they were now worse off. They had used herbs, fuel, and food on this mission and it had got them nothing, just a couple of droids, that now all Halftail wanted to do was tear apart. He was sure that it was their fault about all this, but he couldn't prove it. Besides, he was too tired to prove it right now. All he wanted was rest and for the pain in his body to ebb. That wasn't all that he wanted, but it summed up what he could actually have.

Halftail watched Adlerleaf and Birchfoot curl together a few paces away from him and Swifttail. He watched how they almost looked like one cat. You couldn't tell where Adlerleaf began and where Birchfoot began. They were just that close as littermates. Halftail was sure that Swifttail would have been that close with Sweetberry and Wildspirit. It just didn't work out that way.

“You should get some rest," suggested Kanan as he towered above Halftail a bit.

Halftail realized that Swifttail was already sleeping against him and so were Sabine and Zeb. Halftail shook his head a bit. "I will in a little while, but right now I'm-"

“Thinking," finished Kanan with a deep sigh. "You're always thinking. You're thinking about how things could have been, now they should have been, and how they are."

Halftail was surprised. "How did you-"

“I know you, Halftail," in broke in as he stroked Halftail's spine gingerly. "You risk your life for anyone here and I'm starting to think that you almost want to die."

Anger lit in Halftail's green and crusty eyes. "How dare you!"

Kanan raised a hand. "I know that if you would die you wouldn't be particularly sad at that. You miss Bine and your kits. I see it every minute."

Halftail curled the remainder of his tail around Swifttail protectively. "I live for him now, and for Keen. They are the reason I get up everyday. They look up to me."

“Everyone here does," confessed Kanan as he looked around at the snoring figures. "Everyone here looks up to you and they honor what you've been through. They know that they could never go through so much and they wonder how you did."

Halftail looked away. "Not easily," he mumbled as he felt like a stone was jammed in his throat.

Kanan touched Halftail's belt. "You've added stones. You may think they help. I think that they slow you down."

Halftail hadn't noticed that Kanan knew that he added more pebbles for Bine, Swifttail, Wildspirit, and Sweetberry. Perhaps it was weighing him down. "It is a reminder of them."

“You won't forget without the pebbles," argued Kanan as he stood up and crossed his arms. "Have you forgotten about Brist?"

Halftail snarled. "Never," he nearly spat before he coughed up more blood and spat the remainder of what was in his mouth on the ground. "I loved him like a father. I'm starting to think that love is the reason this hurts so much."

“That's probably why attachment if forbidden," pointed out Kanan as Halftail just looked away. He didn't need to talk about this right now. He had done what he had done and now love was apart of his life, whether Kanan liked it or not. Kanan realized that it was going nowhere, so he just nodded. "I'll be in the cockpit with Hera and Chopper if you need anything."

Halftail muttered something under his breath and waited until Kanan left before he looked to Swifttail. He looked so peaceful. He had grown so much, but Halftail still remembered when he was small enough to nearly fit in his open paw. "I don't regret loving you and I promised your mother that I never would."


	37. This Is Where I Met Her

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Halftail takes his son to the same place that he first met Bine.

About a moon later, things had sort of returned to normal. Everyone was doing what they needed to on the ship and just enjoying some downtime on Lothal. Birchfoot and Swifttail were sorting herbs and some different medicines they had found on other planets. Adlerleaf and Keen were practicing some battle moves in the hanger bay. Sabine was painting in her room, Zeb was sleeping in his, while Hera and Chopper flew the Ghost. Kanan was checking the remainder of the supplies while Bluefeather and Molis snoozed a few paces from Adlerleaf and Keen. Halftail was laying in the back of the hanger, imagining Bine laying beside him. 

Halftail suddenly heard Ezra. He had no idea what Ezra had gotten himself into, but apparently it wasn't good and it involved Chopper. Halftail stifled a groan as he rose to his paws and began to climb the ladder. "What's going on," he complained as a growl began to roll in his throat.

Chopper exploded forward and shocked Halftail. Halftail convulsed as he fell from the ladder on his back, landing with a heavy thud. He muttered under his breath as he rose to his paws and shook out his fur. "On second thought I don't care," he grumbled as he stalked forward and saw Keen actually hold Adlerleaf down for a bit. "Great job Keen!"

Adlerleaf managed to toss him aside gingerly before she rose to her paws. "He's getting better and better everyday. You should be very impressed."

“I am," assured Halftail before he looked at Keen. "But can you beat a puma like me?"

Keen's eyes glowed as he abandoned Adlerleaf and wiggled his haunches as he stood across from Halftail. "You bet," he snarled playfully. "I'm the most powerful wolf here!"

“Hey," barked Bluefeather as she opened one eye.

Keen blushed. "I mean the most powerful wolf after Bluefeather."

Adlerleaf snorted in amusement as she stalked forward. "You do realize that you and Bluefeather are the only other wolves here. Molis is an Anooba, so he doesn't count."

Keen thought for a heartbeat before Halftail bounded forward and pushed him backwards with a paw to the face while keeping his claws sheathed. Keen was a bit taken back and his eyes widened. "Ready now,” Halftail taunted

“Don't go too rough," rasped Molis as he opened his eyes. "Halftail still has his breathing problem."

Halftail narrowed his eyes. He still was coughing up blood and no one could tell him what was wrong. It wasn't as intense, but when he was playfighting it could sometimes slow him down. "I'll be fine, Molis, really."

Molis didn't seem convinced for a heartbeat. He narrowed his eyes and looked like he wanted to say something more, but Bluefeather touched her nose to his ear. He seemed to mellow out as he rested his head on his paws before Bluefaether rested her head beside his. 

Keen suddenly surged forward, ready to rake his paws against Halftail's side. Halftail leaped backwards just in time and reared up, throwing his whole body weight on Keen. He crushed him easily and Keen yelped. Once Halftail rose to his paws and let Keen out, Keen leaped on Halftail's back. Halftail turned and sunk his teeth into Keen's paw and hauled him off of his back. He threw him to the ground while Keen tried to push Halftail up, but Halftail was stronger than him, much stronger than him. He ended up laying on his back with Halftail pressing his paws against his chest.

“I give up. I give up," puffed Keen as exhaustion showed in his eyes.

Halftail purred as he allowed Keen up. "You'll get there. You managed to pin Adlerleaf for a few heartbeats and that's a great sign. She's a pretty strong cat."

Before he could say anything else, he heard Zeb snarl and bolt after Ezra and Chopper. "What is-" Keen began but Halftail just waved a paw.

“It's better not to ask," he suggested as he pushed forward and lowered into a crouch, his back arching as he stretched. "Why don't you practice again with Adlerleaf?”

Keen nodded and darted toward the panther. Adlerleaf darted forward and the two began wrestling and tussling on the ground. Halftail purred before he felt a strange disturbance in the force. It wasn't a danger call, but someone was in his and Kanan's room.

He climbed the ladder and tiptoed toward his room. He was a bit surprised when he pushed his head in. He saw Swifttail rummaging through his belt. He watched his son tear out a tuft of Bine's fur that had kept. It faintly held his mate's scent, but he didn't know how Swifttail knew that he had kept it.

“Find anything interesting," he bellowed as he took a step into the room.

Swifttail let out a yelp as he turned around quickly with wild eyes. "I er um I-"

“Don't try to explain," grumbled Halftail as he looked at the fur still between Swifttail's claws. "I just want to know why."

Swifttail seemed a bit taken back. "Why? You want to know why?" Rage seemed to explode in his as he extended his claws. "I miss her just as much as you do. You at least got to have her for a while. I didn't! She died almost as soon as I was born. I don't even remember what he voice sounded like!" He lifted the tuft of fur to his muzzle. "This is all I have to remember her by.”

Empathy overwhelmed Halftail. "I know that it's hard," breathed Halftail as he drew forward and licked his son between the ears. He wished that he could make it better for Swifttail. He just didn’t know how.

An idea suddenly rippled inside of Halftail and he pushed his head against his son's shoulder. He curled his tail over his back, showing that he wanted his son to follow him.

“Where," wondered Swifttail as he tilted his head in confusion.

“You'll see," answered Halftail as he thrust his muzzle forward. "Now are you coming or not? I'm sure that you'll really enjoy it."

Swifttail rose to his paws and strode forward. "I suppose that I don't lose anything from following you. I just hope it's not something fish-brained."

Halftail chuckled as he strode forward. "Far from it," he assured as he slid down the ladder with Swifttail right behind him. He saw Zeb and Ezra heading out, or at least being forced out of the ship.

Kanan sighed before he looked over to Halftail and Swifttail. "What do you think you two are doing?"

“I'm taking Swifttail out," replied Halftail with a dip of his head. "I have something very special to show him. Is it alright if we're gone for a few hours?"

Kanan shrugged. "Sure, there's nothing going on and I just sent Zeb and Ezra for a quick supply run, or a wild goose chase, whichever fits."

Halftail purred warmly. "Thank you. Come on Swifttail!"

He romped forward with Swifttail following. He strode from the hanger of the Ghost and started to trudge through the sand. He suddenly halted when he realized that Swifttail wasn’t following. He glanced over his shoulder to see Swifttail hesitating. He hated sand almost as much as he hated the Empire. He grumbled as he plunged into the sand, shaking it from each paw as he walked.

“It's just like snow without the melting," pointed out Halftail as he turned to look at Swifttail. "It's not that bad."

Swifttail growled irritably. "Speak for yourself. You like the warmth, jungles, and sand. I prefer the cold, snow, and ice. Now that's fun."

Halftail just rolled his eyes before he forced himself forward. He waited until Swifttail caught up so that they could walk side by side. They walked on silence before Halftail spoke. "If you like snow and ice then you're even more like your mother than I thought," he breathed.

Swifttail looked up at Halftail with his whiskers twitching. "Did Mother love the snow as much as me?"

Halftail thought for a heartbeat. "I'm not sure. I know that she certainly liked it, but you may like it a bit more than her," he joked as he pushed his head against his son’s shoulder.

He tumbled into the sand and yelped as he stood. Sand clung to his fur and skin while his jaw gaped in shock. His claws extended and his teeth gritted. "I'll get you for that," he hissed as he darted forward, trying to push his father into the sand.

Halftail purred as he ducked away from his son on agile paws. Swifttail was not so agile. He could run a bit, but he would quickly sink into the sand then complain about how it was in his pelt. Halftail had no idea how such a wonderful fighter and healer hated the sand like an enemy.

When they drew into town, both toms shook their pelts to make themselves look presentable. Once they did, Halftail took the lead again, gazing around through slitted eyes. Things had changed since he had been to this part of town.

“Where are we going," inquired Swifttail as he looked around with wide eyes.

Halftail turned to look at his son. "Don't worry. You'll see," he assured and he broke into a purr as he found the place that he was looking for.

Swifttail looked up and his face fell. "You wanted to take me to a bar?"

Halftail chuckled in amusement. "Yep. You'll see why in a second. I promise it's not get you drunk," he taunted as he pushed forward toward the bar. 

They nearly strode through the door, but there was a guard checking ages. "Identification," he ordered.

Halftail raised a paw. "You don't need our identifications."

The guard seemed to be in a trance. "I don't need your identifications."

Swifttail stood with round eyes, but Halftail had done this numerous times. "Move along."

The guard motioned a hand inside. "Move along."

Halftail dipped his head before he stepped forward with Swifttail following. They strode into the bar and Halftail realized it hadn't changed since he had been here with Kanan. 

Swifttail's fur prickled in disgust. "Why are we here again?"

Halftail led Swifttail to the corner and sat down. Swifttail copied him and rolled his eyes. Halftail raised a paw. "Do you know what this place is?"

“A bar," answered Swifttail. "I'm not fish-brained!"

Halftail snorted. "Besides a bar. It's something else."

Swifttail thought hard and looked around at some drunk people before he shook his head. "All I see if a dirty old bar that we shouldn't be in,” he hissed.

Halftail sighed. To him this place was a lot different. "This is the place I first met your mother."

Swifttail looked up with unblinking eyes. "R-Really?"

Halftail looked down and smiled warmly. He imagined Bine standing right in front of him, trying to fight off those unruly toms who wouldn't let her eat what was rightly hers. "Really," he replied. He pointed a paw in front of him. "She stood right there and I saved her. Her and Hera offered Kanan and I a ship and after that, things just happened."

Tears showed in Swifttail's eyes. "When did you know that you loved her?"

“Ha! For me I loved her from the moment I saw her. She knew it too," he chuckled as he remembered how young and dumb they had been.

“How do you know," reported Swifttail with narrowed eyes.

Halftail smiled. "Because when we were on the Ghost a few hours later and do you know what she told me?" Swifttail shook his head. “She told me that she had noticed me staring at her and that she could tell that I was falling in love with her. I was so embarrassed that she had been able to figure it out so quickly! Apparently I wasn’t the smooth tom I thought I was.”

Swifttail smiled. "Did she really say that and did you really stare at her?"

That wasn't something that Halftail wanted to admit. "I did stare at her and she did say that. From that moment on I knew that she felt the same way I did. We were together and a few years later I asked her to be my mate in the Phantom."

Swifttail tilted his head. "Why the Phantom," he wondered.

Halftail shrugged as he rose to his paws. He had been in the bar long enough. "I set up a picnic and had this projector that showed stars all around. Then I asked her if she'd be my mate and marry me," he explained. 

Halftail sighed heavily as he remembered what had happened. It had been so wonderful to be with Bine. Now she was gone and there was nothing that he could do about it. "Come on," he murmured in Swifttail's ear. "I think that we've spend enough time in this bar. Let's head back to the Ghost and maybe we can do some Jedi training."

Swifttail perked up at that and nodded vigorously. "Okay!" He marched forward after his father and the two snaked out of the bar. Once they did, Halftail heard the sound of TIEs overhead. He lifted his head, but soon realized it was a lone one. 

“That's strange," muttered Halftail as his eyes followed the TIE. 

Swifttail darted forward and looked up at the TIE. "We should follow it and see where it's going," he announced hopefully.

Halftail shook his head. "It's too dangerous," he argued as he turned in the direction of the Ghost. Before he could get far, Swifttail darted forward and sunk his teeth into his father's tail. "Let go!"

Swifttail released it dejectedly, but he shook his head in anger. "We have to follow it. What if there's something in there that we could pick for parts? We have to go, Dad. Come on!"

Halftail was reluctant. He knew this was an awful idea. However, he had seen the hopeful look in Swifttail’s eyes. He also knew that Swifttail had been itching to spend time with him alone, which was difficult to do on the Ghost. Halftail wanted to head back to the Ghost, but Swifttail was persistent. "Alright, lead the way," he grumbled as he felt his stomach churn in apprehension. 

Swifttail yelped in joy before he darted forward. Halftail followed Swifttail, muttering under his breath. "I have a feeling I'm going to regret this."


	38. Covering For A Friend

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> When Halftail and Swifttail explore a crashed TIE fighter they find that they’re not the only ones.

Swifttail bounded forward and looked toward the sky. The TIE was no longer in sight. "Where did it go," he wondered as he reared on his hind legs, but he still couldn't see it. 

Halftail darted forward and reared on his hind legs beside his son. "You're right. However, I can smell some residue in the air. Can you?"

Swifttail sniffed the air and nodded. "Yeah, I do smell it. It's faint, but it's still here," he answered as he stalked forward, sniffing the air with his nose held high in the air. 

Halftail followed, as he tried to be as inconspicuous as possible. They didn’t need anyone to know what they were up to, especially if it had anything to do with the Empire. 

Swifttail managed to track the TIE to a remote part of Lothal. Halftail drew beside him and pinned his tail to the ground with his claws. "Now don't do anything foolish,” he growled as Swifttail hovered at the mouth of the TIE.

Swifttail dipped his head bashfully. "I won't I promise," he assured before he stalked forward with his body low to the ground. Halftail copied his movements and drew toward the TIE as cautiously as possible.

Halftail and Swifttail both growled and their fur bristled as the door opened. To their surprise and bewilderment, Zeb and Ezra stepped out. 

“Ezra, Zeb," meowed Halftail in disbelief as he rose upward and tilted his head in surprise. He allowed his fur to lay flat and he retracted his claws. They were no threat.

Ezra and Zeb seemed just as surprised to see them. "What are you doing here," asked Ezra as he held a black helmet in his arms. 

“Better question," offered Swifttail as he straightened and pointed toward the TIE with his tail. "What are you two doing in there?"

Zeb rubbed his hand around the back of his neck subconsciously. "It's a long story," he muttered and Halftail could tell that he really didn't want to share.

“What are you going to do with that," inquired Halftail as he gazed at the TIE. He had never been this close to one before. He felt like it would shoot at him at any heartbeat, despite knowing that it had crashed and being out commission. He swallowed his unrealistic fears and looked to Zeb and Ezra, expecting them to answer.

“We were thinking about just leaving it here....in case we need it," replied Ezra as he looked at Halftail and Swifttail. "You won't tell Kanan, will you?"

Halftail hated keeping anything from Kanan, especially something like this. However, telling Kanan would only make things worse. They have enough to worry about without bringing up a hobby that the two seemed to have. Besides, it wasn’t hurting anyone. Against his better judgement, Halftail nodded. "Alright, but don't make me regret it," he snapped as his tail tip quivered.

Ezra and Zeb brightened. "We won't," they assured in unison.

Halftail stifled a sigh. "Then let's get back to the Ghost. It's getting late and Kanan will be wondering where we are," he meowed as he pushed his head against Swifttail's shoulder. Once he started to move, he looked to Ezra and Zeb. "You two owe me. Kanan certainly can tell when something isn't right."

Ezra gulped a bit. "Then can we ask you to make it seem very convincing?"

Halftail shrugged and Swifttail purred. "Perhaps. We'll have to wait and see," he answered as he strode forward with Swifttail at his side. Zeb and Ezra exchanged a glance before they followed Halftail and Swifttail, not sure what may happen.

Halftail just kept marching forward with Swifttail so close that their fur brushed. Swifttail had learned more about his mother and Halftail had realized how much he missed her. He may not be able to bring her back, but he could make sure that Swifttail grew up knowing about his mother's memory. That is what Bine would have wanted.

When the Ghost was finally in sight, Swifttail pushed him playfully. "How about we race the rest of the way," suggested Swifttail with a playful glint in his eyes.

Halftail lowered his head in his shoulders. "It would be my pleasure." With that he sprinted forward, splattering sand and grit into Swifttail's face. Swifttail growled before he shot forward like a bullet. He matched his father's pace, but the sand did slow him down more than he cared to admit. 

Halftail pulled forward and touched the hanger door of the Ghost first. Swifttail was only a tail-length behind him, but Halftail still won. "Not bad," he purred warmly, trying to disguise that he was out of breath. "Maybe one day you'll be as swift and agile as me."

Swifttail wrinkled his nose in disgust in anger before he lashed his tail. "Let's race on Hoth. Then we'll see who's more swift and agile," he grumbled as he dragged himself into the hanger door, trailing sand and mud.

Kanan raised an eyebrow as he saw Ezra and Zeb. "Where is the TIE?"

Before anyone could answer, Halftail spoke up. "They destroyed it, Kanan. I saw it for myself," he lied, his voice smooth and convincing. He was pretty good at lying, although he didn't advertise it. He could certainly fool Brist about how he was feeling. 

Kanan still didn't seem convinced, but Hera was. "And you found the fruit?”

Zeb passed it over. "That's all we got, but you said this was the most important," he pointed out as he smiled at Hera with a slight dip of his head.

Hera chuckled. "It was. I'm surprised that you managed to find it."

“They're resilient," pointed out Halftail as he strode forward with his tail kinked over his back and sand all through his pelt. It had been a great day, a strange day, but certainly a good one.

He climbed the ladder and he didn't get far before Sabine poked her head from her room. "Hey, I have something for you and Swifttail," she whispered.

Halftail's ears twitched in confusion. “O-Okay," he stammered as he brought himself forward. "Let's see what you got."

Sabine led him into her room. Bluefeather and Adlerleaf stayed in Sabine's room and had their own corner that was decorated plainly. The rest of the room was decorated in colorful and beautiful artwork. Usually Sabine worked with the doors closed and no one ever was allowed inside her room unless you lived in it. However, now that Halftail was inside, his eyes glowed as he gazed at the walls.

“It's beautiful," murmured Halftail as he took all of it in.

Sabine smiled and laughed. "Thanks, but that's not what I brought you in here to see." She turned and picked up a framed picture. She flipped it over and Halftail felt his heart ache.

It was a beautiful painted picture of Bine. It was as realistic as could be. Her eyes gleamed and seemed to stare into his soul. His whiskers were long and delicately black. All of her furs were individually painted on and the colors matched Bine's perfectly. Sabine set it down for Halftail to hold and tears just flowed from his eyes.

‘I'm sorry ," apologized Sabine madly. "I didn't mean for it to make you upset."

Halftail raised a paw to his face and wiped away the tears. "It's not making me upset. It's making me happier than I've been in a long time. It's so beautiful! It looks so much like her."

Sabine kneeled down and looked at it. "I know how much you miss her as well as Swifttail, so I thought that a picture would help you both."

Halftail strode forward and hugged Sabine as much as possible. "Thank you so much for this Sabine! It means so much to me," he breathed through his tears.

Sabine hugged him back. "You're more than welcome. You're my family and I love you. There's nothing that I wouldn't do for family."

Once they were finished, Halftail picked up the picture and smiled. "Do you mind if I keep this in my room? I'll probably keep it there for a bit before I place it somewhere where everyone can see it."

Sabine smiled. "You can do whatever you want with it. It is yours."

Halftail picked up and blinked the tears from his eyes. "Will you please send Swifttail to my room? I want to show him that this is what his mother looked like."

“Sure," exclaimed Sabine as she strode from her room.

Halftail did the same and traveled to his room. He set the picture against the wall and imagined Bine just jumping from the picture and wrestling with him like they used to. It wasn't long before Swifttail appeared at the den, shaking sand from his ears. "Do you need something? I was just going to take a shower. I have sand EVERYWHERE!"

Halftail purred in amusement. "I won't keep you for long. I just want to show you something," he explained as he stepped aside to show the picture.

Swifttail's eyes widened and his eyes traveled to the name at the bottom, BINE. "W-Was that my m-mother," he stammered in surprise. 

Halftail dipped his head. "Yes, that was her. That's exactly what she looked like." He saw Swifttail's whiskers perk as he tried to copy her facial expression. "Beautiful, huh?"

Swifttail drew closer still and he raised a paw, grazing his pads against Bine's face as if he could feel it. "She's more than beautiful," he breathed with awe in his voice. "She's positively stunning!"

Halftail had thought the same thing. "She looked exactly like that and I think I can tell how one tom in here got his good looks," he purred.

Swifttail turned and looked at himself. "Me? You think that I look like Mother?"

“I know that you do," answered Halftail as he turned his muzzle high in the air with assurance. "When I first saw you, I knew that you were an exact copy of Bine. However, Bine wanted you to be named after me. She liked the first part Swift and Tail would work since I didn't want you to have half in your name."

Swifttail chuckled. "I wish I could have known her."

Halftail shook his head. "You may not be able to know her, but with this you can see her everyday," he told his son as he gazed at the picture of Bine once more. He just couldn't stop admiring it's beauty. Sabine had done a wonderful job.

“Where will we put it," inquired Swifttail as he continued to stare at her picture. He admired the look in her eyes as well as the calmness that seemed to be in her stance. Her shoulders were taunt, but covered in beautiful snow white fur with specific black spots. He seemed almost mesmerized.

Halftail thought for a heartbeat. "I'd like it in here for at least a week and then I thought we could put it somewhere where everyone could admire it."

Swifttail dipped his head and Halftail was pleased. He didn't want to argue with where it should be. "I think that's a great idea. Thanks, Dad." With that he left with his tail kinked delicately over his back. 

Halftail smiled before he looked at the picture of Bine. He pressed his nose against Bine's nose and nearly felt her cool nose against his. "I miss you so much, my love. I know this will keep you close to me. Our son understands more now and I'm glad. Maybe one day he'll truly understand the cat you used to be."


	39. Jedi Training, Or Something Like That

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Something is bothering Swifttail and Halftail will stop at nothing to figure out what it is.

Halftail stood next to Kanan, but he was facing the opposite direction. He was gazing at Ezra, who was standing on his hands, while Halftail was gazing at Swifttail and Keen. 

“Alright, I want Swifttail to stand right there and close your eyes. Keen is going to sneak up on you. I want you to use the force to feel him and pinpoint him," he explained to his son. He then looked to Keen. "Be as quiet as you can and try not to let Swifttail feel you."

Both nodded before they took their positions. Swifttail sat with his tail curled around his paws calmly. He let out a steadying breath, but his position was tight and almost angry. Swifttail had been like that for a few moons. Halftail hadn't thought anything of it at first. Now, it was beginning to worry him.

Halftail nodded to Keen and he stalked forward, keeping his pawsteps light and gentle on the Ghost's exterior. He didn't dare breathe since Swifttail had incredible hearing without using the force. However, Keen was agile and he was getting better everyday. He crept forward, and once he was close enough, he leaped. He easily plowed into Swifttail and Swifttail fell easily, his muzzle snapping against the ship.

Halftail couldn't believe that Swifttail had been taken down that easily. "Swifttail," he snapped as anger lit in him. "What was that?!"

Swifttail gulped a bit and shook his head. "S-Sorry," he stammered as confusion showed in his eyes. "I just wasn't ready."

Halftail rolled his eyes. "Are you ready now," he asked as his tail tip twitched in impatience. They only had a limited time to train and he wasn't going to have it wasted.

“I am," Swifttail assured as his head nodded vigorously. He positioned himself again and took in a rattling breath. Keen positioned himself again and stalked forward. He spread his wings and he leaped once more.

This time Swifttail turned on him with sharp reflexes. He forced Keen to the ground and threw his leg in a way that Halftail didn't even know was possible. He certainly hadn't taught him that. He attacked Keen with such violence that Halftail didn't recognize him as his own son. 

Keen's eyes widened as Swifttail sunk his claws into Keen's shoulder. Terror struck Keen and he turned, kicking his hind legs against Swifttail's underbelly to knock him off. He fell backwards and his claws scratched the surface of the Ghost before he wailed as he fell backwards. 

Keen was about to dive forward, ending the fight, but Halftail stretched out a paw and used the force to bring his son back up. He noticed Kanan doing the same thing, so he was relieved that he wasn't the only one having trouble. He set Swifttail down easily, but his son was still panting madly with terror showing in his eyes. He looked up to his father, gulping for air.

“I think that's enough training for now," suggested Halftail as he looked at Keen. He shot him a look that told him that he needed to talk to Swifttail alone.

Keen looked around. "Coming Bluefeather!" He suddenly darted forward and disappeared into the Ghost with just a flash of his blue gray fur. 

Swifttail twitched an ear. "I didn't hear Bluefeather calling him."

Halftail drew forward and looked at Swifttail. "We need to talk, in private," he whispered in his son's ear so that Kanan and the rest of the crew on top of the Ghost didn't hear. They didn't need to know that training hadn't gone so well.

Swifttail gulped, but he didn't argue. He dropped down into the Ghost with Halftail following. Halftail led him into his and Kanan's room, locking the door behind him. If Kanan came he'd let him in, but for right now he needed to have a heart to heart with his son.

“Sit," he ordered as he pointed a paw at Swifttail. 

Swifttail sat, and once again, curled his tail around his paws. He looked up at his father with a wavering gaze. "Did I do something wrong?"

Halftail couldn't believe that Swifttail couldn't tell that there was something different about him. "Is there something that I should know about?"

Every hair on Swifttail's pelt began to prickle uneasily. "W-What do you mean," he stammered as he looked at his paws, not daring to look up.

That was Halftail’s final straw. "You know what I mean. You've been acting differently lately and don't think that I haven’t noticed," he growled sternly. "I'm your father. There's not a lot that you can hide from me."

Swifttail looked up with a distant look in his eyes. "Is this about training? I'll try harder, I promise. Today I just wasn't focused and I-"

Halftail lashed his tail to cut him off. "This isn't just about training. You walk around here as if something is going to attack you at any heartbeat. I can't help you if you don't let me."

Swifttail narrowed his eyes. "I'm fine. I don't need help," he argued as he looked away, wrinkling his nose in disgust that his father would even suggest it.

Halftail allowed his fur to bristle. "Let me help you," he growled as he leaned forward slightly. "It's clear that something is bothering you."

“Then why say something now," reported Swifttail as he shoved his ears forward. "If you wanted to help so much you would’ve done something earlier!”

Halftail stood to his full height. "I wanted to see if you could work if out yourself, but apparently not, so now I wanted to step in," he replied.

Swifttail shook his head and growled. "I'm fine! Why wouldn't I be fine," he spat as he began to pace, his body nearly shaking in anger and fear.

Halftail followed his movements. "Look at yourself! You call that fine?" When Swifttail didn't answer, he rolled his eyes. "You're so stubborn!"

Swifttail's eyes met Halftail's. "And where do you think I get that from," he reported as his lip curled to reveal glimmering white teeth.

Halftail was a bit taken back. "Then why haven't you gotten anything else from me?"

Swifttail's eyes widened in hurt, before quickly flashing right back to anger. "I don't know what Mother ever saw in you!" With that he stormed from the room, leaving Halftail standing stunned. He swore under his breath as he saw Kanan leaning against the door, waiting to be invited in.

Halftail shook his head. "I'm sorry. How much of that did you hear?"

“Enough," answered Kanan as he came in and looked at Halftail. "I understand what you're going through. It seemed that Ezra is having trouble too."

Halftail growled. "That's different," he grumbled as he blinked his eyes. "Swifttail is my son. It's hard when we're in such close quarters all the time. We love each other and we're closer now that Bine isn't here. It's just that he's very defensive and he doesn't understand that I'm just trying to help."

“He'll understand one day," assured Kanan as he sat on his bed.

Halftail looked at his paws and he curled his claws a bit into the pads of his paws. "And what if it's too late,” he muttered into his chest fur.

Luckily, Kanan didn't catch the last part and Halftail was grateful. He suddenly heard a hiss and his ears pricked on top of his head. He exchanged a look with Kanan before he bounded out of the den and heard the hiss from Birchfoot's room. He strode forward quizzically. "Birchfoot?”

Birchfoot snarled from the corner and Halftail saw that something had fallen onto him. "Wolf-scat," spat Birchfoot as his good hind leg tried to dislodge the heavy metal sheet on his back. However, he wasn't strong enough.

“It's alright," assured Halftail as he drew forward and gazed at the metal sheet that had one been propped up against the wall. "I'll get it off." He used the force and lifted it from Birchfoot's back easily. 

Birchfoot sucked in a breath and shook his head to clear it. He looked up to Halftail in appreciation. “Thank you, Halftail," he murmured thankfully.

Halftail nodded before he began to weave around Birchfoot. "Are you alright? Did it nick your or anything," he fretted with round eyes.

Birchfoot pushed him away. "I'm fine," he assured, but embarrassment shone in his eyes. "I'm sorry that you had to come and help me."

Halftail let out a snort. "Don't apologize! It's not your fault. Besides, I'm always willing to help a friend in need. Are you sure that you're okay?"

A growl rolled in Birchfoot's throat and he turned, stomping to the best of his ability. "It's not fair! I hate being so useless," he seethed. 

Halftail tilted his head. "You're not useless, not by a long shot," he argued as his fur spiked along his spine. "Why would you think that?"

Birchfoot turned back to face him with agony in his gaze. "Look at me, Halftaill. I stay here all day and sort herbs. I can't hunt and I can't fight. I'm not training to be a Jedi like my sister could."

Halftail saw how this was hurting Birchfoot, but it shouldn't be. "You're not useless, Birchfoot. How many times have you saved my life? At least a dozen! Without you I would be dead and so would almost everyone else on this ship. Just because you can't hunt or fight like us, doesn't mean we don't need you."

Birchfoot still didn't seem convinced. "Do you know what today is?"

Halftail tilted his head. "Should I?"

“Today is the anniversary of Sorrelspeck’s death," murmured Birchfoot as his tail curled around his paws. 

Halftail understood a bit more now. He nodded in understanding. "So it is. I'm so sorry, Birchfoot," he empathized before he turned and flicked his tail. "How about you come out with me and see if we can take your mind off of it?”

Birchfoot seemed reluctant to the idea, but he eventually nodded. He limped forward with Halftail resting his tail across Birchfoot's shoulders. They strode into the common room and Halftail saw Sabine listening to the radio.

“Looks like you're famous, Ezra," chuckled Sabine as she looked over to the young Padawan.

The radio announcer told them about the stolen TIE and Halftail couldn't help but purr. They then showed a picture of a Jedi that Halftail didn't know personally, but he had heard of her. Luminara Unduli. She was certainly a legend in the Clone Wars, but Halftail hadn't heard anything about her in forever.

“She's alive," he breathed in surprise as his whiskers twitched in utter shock.

Kanan gave a thoughtful nod. “That she is. I can't help saying that I'm surprised, but if anyone could make it, Luminara could." He then looked at Ezra. "Now, she would be the perfect Jedi to train you."

“I'll put in the coordinates," Hera told them as she began to move toward the cockpit. Bluefeather followed since Hera was teaching her how to be pilot, like her. 

Keen darted over to Swifttail and lowered into a crouch in front of him. "Do you want to fight," he offered as he jabbed at Swifttail’s shoulders playfully before he jumped backwards in case Swifttail would lunge.

Swifttail turned away before he shook his head. "No thanks," he muttered with cold, yet unreadable eyes.

Keen's face fell before Molis bounded over to him, still favoring his chest as he walked, but it certainly was healing nicely. "Do you want to fight me? I might be able to teach you some moves."

Keen brightened and leaped on his paws. "Alright! Thanks, Molis!"

Molis nudged his head against Keen's haunch and thrust him toward the hanger bay where they would have more space to practice. Adlerleaf tilted her head as she noticed that something was up with Swifttail. 

“You alright," murmured Adlerleaf gently as she drew toward Swifttail. She touched her nose gingerly to his ear and he twitched it as she inhaled deeply. "Well, are you?"

Swifttail turned to look at Adlerleaf with hazy and haunted eyes. "Can I talk to you, in private?"

Adlerleaf seemed a bit taken back, but she wasn't about to argue. "S-Sure," she stammered in surprise. "Where do you want to talk?"

Swifttail looked around before he padded over to the kitchen area. No one was eating at this time, so it would be the perfect place to talk and not be interrupted. Halftail followed them and stayed at the door, pressing his ear against the door to try and hear their conversation.

“So, what's wrong," inquired Adlerleaf as she leaned forward with unblinking eyes. 

Swifttail shuffled his paws. "I've been having terrible nightmares. They're so vivid and they feel so real. I wake up and my claws are out and I feel like I've just been through a battle," he explained as his eyes seemed to mist over. "My father is suspicious, but I can’t tell him. I don't need him to worry about me."

Adlerleaf's eyes softened. "Oh, Swifttail," she murmured as she leaned forward and touched her nose to his cheek. "You shouldn't keep this from your father if he's trying to help. Besides, I have a feeling that he would worry regardless.”

Swifttail shook his head. "I don't want to tell him. Besides, he's had enough trouble without me adding to it. Jedi training is difficult and it's also difficult to be a healer too. I love it and I’m learning a lot, but it doesn't mean that it's always worth it. Now, with the Empire rising up and everything, things feel so real and dangerous around us."

“What about herbs," suggested Adlerleaf as she lifted her whiskers. "Is there any herbs that you can take to help you with your nightmares?"

Swifttail sniffed and shook his head. "There are two things that there are no herbs for; a broken heart and nightmares," he confessed, mimicking what Birchfoot had told him on his first day as training to be a healer.

Adlerleaf shook her head slowly. "I'm so sorry. Is there anything that I can do to make it better," she offered, her eyes lighting in possible hope.

Swifttail smiled and touched his nose to hers. "Just being able to talk to you is helpful. Thank you for being there for me," he breathed softly.

“I'm not sure how helpful that is, but if you enjoy it, then you can talk to me all you want." Adlerleaf's eyes glowed as she spoke. "Do you think that being a Jedi will help you?"

Swifttail staggered a bit on his paws. "I have no idea. I'm hoping, but I can't promise anything. Besides, I'm sure that my Dad wants to pass me onto the next Jedi he can find."

“Don't you two love each other? I thought you two were very close," she pointed out with a wave her tail.

Swifttail licked his chomps. "We are. That might be why we're having so many problems. He cares for me because he's my father. Jedi aren't supposed to have attachments, but we have major ones. I think that's probably not great."

Halftail suddenly drew back from the door, his eyes narrowed a bit in scrutiny. So Swifttail thought that his attachment to him was getting in the way? He could try to be less attached, but he wasn't sure how that would work. If it helped Swifttail before the best Jedi he could be, then he would try it.


	40. The Inquisitor

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A simple rescue mission becomes anything but when a dark force rises up.

It didn’t take the Ghost crew long to arrive where Luminara was being held. The Ghost hovered above the landing point and Kanan was the first one to jump out. Halftail was next and he had actually offered for Birchfoot to come and he had agreed. He had told Halftail that it probably wasn't a good idea, but Halftail wouldn't hear it. Birchfoot needed to see that he could be needed and not just in the medical field. 

Halftail landed next to Kanan on gentle paws, just like he had been taught to do when he was a Jedi. The door didn't open and Halftail let out a breath of relief. 

His ears suddenly pricked as he heard the howling of a wolf and the screaming of Ezra. Keen fell harshly on his underbelly while Ezra suddenly tumbled and rolled into the door that they had been trying to get into. Kanan sighed and Halftail grimaced as Ezra staggered backwards, stepping on Keen's wing. Keen wailed in pain and looked up in anger and pain.

“Quiet," hissed Halftail as he lowered down and helped Keen to his paws. "You'll alert everyone to us!" He glared at Ezra and Keen both when he said it.

Keen glanced at Ezra through narrowed eyes and growled. "He stepped on my wings, twice!"

“I was trying to get out and land like you two, but Keen wouldn't move. He wanted to glide down," muttered Ezra as he crossed his arms over his chest.

Keen reared on his hind legs and narrowed his eyes at Ezra. "I have wings for a reason," he pointed out as his tail lashed. "I'm supposed to fly, not be pushed!"

“Enough," snapped Kanan as he separated Keen and Ezra from each other. "Now the troopers know that we're here and they're probably already coming for us."

Halftail sighed before Swifttail, Adlerleaf, and Birchfoot landed the way that Keen and Ezra should have. Even Sabine, Zeb, and Molis landed better than them and they were bigger without Jedi training. When they were finally down on the platform, troopers burst out. The door closed behind them and Halftail growled in surprise. 

Him and Kanan used the force to bring some troopers forward and knock them out easily. Birchfoot and Adlerfoot copied them and used the force as well. It wasn't as strong as Kanan or Halftail, but it was still wasn't bad. Swifttail helped Sabine and Molis while Zeb disarmed one trooper himself, with a bit of help from Keen.

Once they were finished, they motioned for Ezra. "Just try and be quick," muttered Molis as he lashed his tail against the ground. "We're certainly powerful, but not powerful enough for a whole citadel!"

Ezra dipped his head to Molis since he wasn't going to argue with the Anooba. He tried to open it, but Kanan's patience were running out. "Can you hurry up," snapped Kanan.

Halftail hadn't seen Kanan loose his patience like that in a while. "I'm going," muttered Ezra before it finally opened. The group pushed their way in while Adlerleaf made sure that Birchfoot didn't get left behind. He was keeping up surprisingly well. 

Once they were all in, Ezra looked around. "You're welcome."

Zeb grasped his shoulder. "You don't get thanked for doing your job," he muttered as he threw him backwards a bit. Ezra scowled, but he didn't say anything as he rubbed at his shoulder through strong fingers.

Sabine scanned something before she shook her head. "We had old schematics. Where they said Luminara is doesn't exist," she confessed.

“How did the Empire outsmart us," muttered Keen as his tail tip flicked back and forth. 

Molis looked down. "It happens, pup. We just don't like when it does."

“They didn't outsmart us," argued Kanan as he began to pace and Halftail had to remind him how that didn't help, at all! "We just need to think of a new plan."

Halftail felt the ground move with vibrations. "You may want to hurry that up," he offered as he lifted one paw and growled. "They'll be here sooner rather than later."

“In the elevator," Kanan ordered as he opened it and everyone struggled to actually fit. Molis allowed Adlerleaf and Swifttail to stand on his back as long as they didn't dig their claws into Molis's shoulders. Halftail and Birchfoot stood so close that their pelts brushed and Halftail could feel Birchfoot's thundering heartbeat. Sabine stood over them while Ezra and Kanan stood together. Zeb was the most squished while Keen hovered ahead, his wings beating quickly. 

“This plan just keeps getting worse and worse," muttered Sabine as she crossed her arms over her chest stubbornly.

“I know," grumbled Zeb as his rolled his eyes.

Kanan stomped a bit, his foot catching Birchfoot's tail. Birchfoot gasped in pain before he drew his tail closed to him, scowling up at Kanan. "I'm standing right here guys."

“We know," they both coursed and Halftail couldn't help but purr. For once he wasn't the one being yelled at for his plan backfiring. 

Once the elevator stopped Kanan, Swiftail, Halftail, and Ezra stepped out. Keen decided to stay, but Halftail wanted Birchfoot to come. "Come on," he whispered to to his surprise Birchfoot limped forward and dipped his head to Halftail. 

“You better be right about this," murmured Birchfoot as he looked around.

Halftail smiled before they made their way down the hallway. Halftail made sure that Birchfoot didn't fall behind while they were bounding through the hallways. Birchfoot had learned how to run on three legs and he was actually pretty good, despite his lame leg. Anyone that had told Birchfoot that he was useless should see him now.

They stopped at the entrance of the cell while Kanan pushed his way in. Halftail leaped down the stairs with Swifttail and Birchfoot following. Halftail saw the older Jedi Master, but she didn't look anything like he imagined. She looked old and strained. Nothing like the pictures he had seen and admired when he was a Padawan. 

She suddenly stood and rushed toward them. Halftail was about to say something, but she turned before he could. Swifttail sniffed as she strode away and stepped through a wall and into a strange glass. Halftail saw Birchfoot gasp in shock and disgust.

“That's not her," gasped Kanan as his head shook madly.

“Very good observation," murmured a dark and silky voice. Halftail turned and saw a man with pointy teeth, a pale, white complexion, and black markings on his face. 

He looked down at Birchfoot, who was standing on the stairs, and kicked him in the side. He rolled on the ground painfully and grumbled with his paws tucked under him. Halftail darted in front of Birchfoot to make sure that no one came near him. Birchfoot managed to haul himself to shaky paws, his eyes narrowing in anger. 

“Leave him alone," spat Swifttail as he lowered his head into his shoulders, his tail puffed out as well while his fur bristling along his shoulders. 

The man picked Swifttail up by the force and threw him into Brichfoot. The two toms rolled and Birchfoot didn't even bother to rush to his paws again. He just laid where he was while Swifttail darted to his paws, still ready for action. Halftail helped Birchfoot up on shaky paws while his chest heaved.

“Hello. I am the Inquisitor."

“And I think that it's time for us to go," suggested Halftail as he took a step toward the steps. Before he could take any steps a bright red lightsaber blade was thrust his way. Halftail drew in a sharp breath and his eyes narrowed to unforgiving slits. 

Halftail turned and grasped his blue lightsaber, thrusting it against the Inquisitor's lightsaber. He seemed a bit surprised and even more surprised when Kanan drew his lightsaber and slashed it against the other side.

“Two Jedi. Or rather a Jedi and his pet," taunted the Inquisitor. 

Halftail let out a mock purr. "That's so sweet that you think I'm a pet. Let me show you what I can do!" He deactivated his lightsaber and crawled up the Inquisitor's back and clawed at his shoulder. The Inquisitor stumbled down the stairs thanks to Halftail’s weight.

He ended up throwing Halftail off, but it was just the distraction that he had needed. Kanan took a step forward and thrust his lightsaber against the Inquisitor's blade. They started lashes at one another while Halftail made sure that Swifttail and Birchfoot would be ready to run. 

“You're sloppy and only trained in one style, you're master's favorite," murmured the Inquisitor in a silky tone. Halftail knew he was trying to ruffle Kanan's feathers and it was working quite nicely. 

Kanan said a few things, but Halftail was more focused on Ezra and the door. When he moved, the door exploded from a grenade. Halftail pushed Birchfoot and Swifttail forward. "Go, now!"

Ezra and Kanan followed and Halftail hoped that they left the Inquisitor behind, but Halftail knew that they wouldn't be that lucky. As they darted out, the Inquisitor followed, his lightsaber sprouting out two crimson blades like blood. 

“Great lupus," breathed Birchfoot as his paws planted on the ground roughly. "I didn't even know a lightsaber could do that!"

Halftail stopped beside Birchfoot and nudged him forward harshly. "They haven't in a long time," he confessed before Birchfoot finally started moving again. 

“You don't think that I'm going to just let you leave like that," murmured the Inquisitor as he lifted his hand and used the force to pull Birchfoot backwards. Birchfoot yelped in shock and he turned his head to see a blade dangerously close to his face.

Halftail lunged forward and offset the Inquisitor's balance. Birchfoot was able to use the force a bit before he scrambled forward. Halftail stood up as straight as he could. "I'm a little rusty at this, but I wouldn't count me out just yet," growled Halftail as he bared his teeth a bit as he licked his chomps.

The Inquisitor's eyes glowed. "So, you do want to challenge me. I say, I don't remember you."

Halftail took his stance and he saw Swifttail and Birchfoot gazing at him in awe. Kanan was trying to force Ezra back, but all eyes were on him. 

“Then you won't know any of my moves," pointed out Halftail as he felt his half tail tense behind him. He had remembered seeing him, but it had been a long time. He had had all of his tail and Brist hadn't let him fight since he had been too young and too small. His Master had defeated him easily, but that was back then, his experience and talent had clearly grown.

The Inquisitor jumped, but Halftail was ready. They met each other evenly and Halftail used his weight to force him backwards. He went for Halftail's head, but he ducked backwards before flipping easily. He had a cat and a Jedi's combined agility. He struck another stance as the Inquisitor charged forward again. 

Halftail used the force and propelled him backwards. He deactivated his lightsaber and charged forward, brushing his whiskers against Birchfoot’s and Swifttail’s flank. “Let's go! He's not going to stay down for long," he meowed, but he saw his son's eyes lit in a newfound respect. "Now!"

They finally seemed to listen and Halftail took the lead with Kanan right beside him. "Not too shabby," murmured Kanan as he looked down at Halftail. "I wasn't sure you still knew how to fight with a lightsaber."

Halftail let out a huff. "Don't worry, I got some moves, not many, but some," he rambled before he felt the darkness in the force intensify. He was coming back and he was certainly angry.

Halftail heard a sharp snarl of Birchfoot and he turned to see Birchfoot laying on the ground, blood dripping from a small gash. The Inquisitor had thrown some metal and it had become lodged in Birchfoot's bad leg. Now he certainly couldn't run when it dragged him down. 

“I'm surprised that they would bring a crippled cat along," murmured the Inquisitor as his red eyes gleamed in amusement. "It's a shame, really. A cat like you is strong with the force, but he can't even move right."

Birchfoot looked up and swiped at the air with outstretched claws. "The force isn't wasted on me. I'm a Jedi healer," he meowed firmly as he gave his head a small nod. 

The Inquisitor rolled his eyes. "A Jedi healer is nothing compared to a Sith. This is how you'll find out," he snapped as he raised a lightsaber high in the air. 

Before he could thrust it down, Halftail leaped forward and sunk his teeth into Birchfoot's scruff, pulling him backwards. The Inquisitor's lightsaber came up short, snapping against the ground and scorching it where Birchfoot had been standing. Halftail was going to pull Birchfoot the rest of the way, but to his relief, Ezra picked up Birchfoot and began to carry him. Halftail tumbled after him and looked back.

Before they could get far, Kanan stopped. "What now," grumbled Halftail as he lashed his tail. "Can't we get out of here without any more trouble?!"

Kanan struck a lightsaber against the Inquisitor's before the Inquisitor looked to Ezra. "It's not too late to join the Dark Side," he reminded Ezra.

Ezra held Birchfoot close to his chest. "I know of no such thing," he snapped as he stood next to Swifttail, who arched his back and hissed.

“Then your Master is an awful teacher," breathed the Inquisitor in once again a silky voice. He threw Kanan backwards and Kanan landed harshly on his back, his head snapping against the ground. "He's foolish and undisciplined." 

“Then we have something in common," Ezra told him as he drew a laser ball backwards and released it. The Inquisitor took it and just laughed. 

He then pushed Ezra back with the force with him and Birchfoot landing harshly on the ground, whimpering and shaking their heads. Halftail and Swifttail managed to wake Kanan up a bit and he sat up, groaning. He raised a hand and pushed the Inquisitor into the ceiling. He then rose up a bit and readied to run.

Once Halftail and Swifttail had woken up, Ezra and Birchfoot Halftail nodded to Kanan. Kanan stopped with the force and they all ran. They headed toward the hanger and Birchfoot began to fall behind again. Kanan stooped back and picked up Birchfoot by the scruff before carrying him gently. 

Birchfoot looked over his shoulder and hissed. "He's coming back."

“Figured," muttered Halftail before Sabine, Zeb, Molis, Adlerleaf, and Keen fell from the ceiling. 

They continued on while Keen looked backwards. "Who's that and why is he following us," Keen yipped as he picked up the pace so that he could race alongside Halftail.

Halftail sighed. "Long story, but he's dangerous. Also why are we heading toward the most highly guarded part of this place," he inquired. 

Molis leaped over a clone helmet. "Because that's our escape plan."

“That's absurd," argued Ezra as he jogged beside Zeb. 

“Let's hope the Empire thinks so," Sabine shot back as they turned the corner and Halftail saw that the hanger door was fully open with TIEs and troopers everywhere.

Halftail's blood went cold. Death laid in front of him. Death stretched behind them. Oh, the choices that he had. Where would he go?


	41. Just Escaped

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Halftail learns something alarming about Swifttail.

“Great. Great. Great," repeated Swifttail as he tried to close his eyes, probably wishing that he couldn't see what was right in front of him. 

Halftail stretched out a tail to try and calm his son. "It's alright. We'll make it out."

Troopers began to fire and they all scattered like scared prey in Halftail's claws. He ducked beside Swifttail and Molis while he was just able to see what was happening. They were cornered and the Inquisitor would be behind them at any heartbeat. Things were not looking too good for them right now.

Suddenly, Halftail saw the Phantom fly from the sky with strange and large flying creatures with it. Halftail watched them crash on the TIEs and push the troopers.

“Amazing," breathed Molis as his eyes glowed. "I haven't seen something amazing as that in moons!"

Halftail purred before he scaled forward as the Phantom landed. He opened the small door and motioned for everyone in. Molis, Zeb, Sabine, and Adlerleaf were first. Swifttail made sure that Keen was in before he finally made it in. Ezra was next with Kanan stumbling as he tried to run with Birchfoot. 

Halftail watched as the Inquisitor threw his lightsaber. Kanan deflected it before the Phantom began to rise above the ground. Halftail leaped and pulled himself in while Kanan jumped beside him. The door closed and it began to fly toward the Ghost. 

Bluefeather and Hera were there to greet them when they came out. She rushed toward Keen and rumbled affectionately. "I was so worried. I knew things weren't going right, but I couldn't imagine that they were that wrong."

“It's alright," assured Keen as he blushed a bit. "I'm fine. We're all fine."

Bluefeather smiled before she noticed that there wasn't anyone new on board. "Master Luminara," she mumbled as she tilted her head.

Kanan shook his head as he set Birchfoot down gingerly. "She's gone. Looks like the kid is stuck with me," he muttered before he strode with Hera toward the cockpit.

Swifttail then took control of the conversation. "Dad, can I have some help pulling this out of Birchfoot's leg?"

Halftail nodded before he lowered beside his son. They both gripped the metal piece in their teeth and pulled. Birchfoot groaned and cringed as the piece of metal was finally pulled from his leg. Birchfoot hissed as he looked at the wound with hostility lighting in his eyes. "At least it was my bad leg."

Swifttail lowered down and began to lap at the wound. It wasn't in his twisted part, so that was good. "It's just a flesh wound. Easy to injure, but easy to heal."

“Very good assessment," murmured Birchfoot thoughtfully. "That's what I would have said too. It looks like you're learning more from me than you think."

Swifttail just chuckled as he cleaned the wound, making sure that the only flesh left was clean and the blood had stopped gushing out. Once he was finished, he made a poultice of some shriveled up herbs and even made sure that Birchfoot ate some. His next step was bandaging it up. He didn't have to warn Birchfoot away from using it since he already didn't.

“Now you are a great example of a healer, Swifttail," assured Birchfoot as he admired his work with bright eyes. He yawned before stretching out. "One day you may have your own crew to be a healer of."

Swifttail looked at his paws. "I don't know about that, Birchfoot. I like it here and I like being your apprentice," he pointed out.

Birchfoot's eyes glowed. "I like you being my apprentice too, but good things don't last forever. What makes them special is that it'll all end, do you understand me?"

Swifttail wrinkled his muzzle a bit. "I guess. May I go see what we have to eat now?"

Birchfoot nodded. "You may want to take Adlerleaf or Keen. I'm sure they're hungrier than a pack of wolves," he teased as he rested his head on his paws.

Halftail drew near him and laid beside him. "You seem full of a new sense of energy," he detected and he realized that even Birchfoot's usual scent smelled different. 

“I suppose I am," he confessed as he shook out his fur. "I just feel better that I sort of took on the Inquisitor. I didn't do very well, but he was surprised that a creature like me has force powers. It chose me and I don't think I'm letting it down. I knew a couple Jedi Healers and they helped a lot of people."

Halftail could certainly agree with that. "That's right! Why, they saved my life on numerous occasions. I wouldn't be here if not for those like you."

Birchfoot purred. "Then I'm glad that I can serve. I may even like joining you on missions here and there," he offered as he sighed heavily.

“That would be very much appreciated, Birchfoot," Halftail assured as he touched his nose to his friend's ear. "Just say the word." With that he rose to his paws and strode to the back of the hanger where he sometimes slept. Bine's scent sill lingered as well as the memories. It wasn't long before he was emerged into a deep sleep. 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

When he woke up, he realized that they were on Lothal. The scent of Swifttail was stale, but he had certainly had passed by here earlier. He lifted his head and he blinked his eyes slowly. 

He saw Molis and Keen talking while Bluefeather watched from a short distance away. "Have you seen Swifttail?"

Keen looked over to Halftail. "I just saw him a few heartbeats ago. I think that he was going for a walk," Keen answered and Molis nodded in agreement. 

Halftail sighed and rose to his paws. "I'll be back. I need to make sure that nothing is wrong," he muttered, half to himself. He strode out of the hanger door and he saw Ezra sitting with his head in his hands. He flicked his tail tip and he tilted his head. "Ezra, are you alright?"

Ezra seemed a bit taken off guard and he turned to Halftail. "Oh, Halftail! I didn't hear you coming. Yeah, I'm fine," he assured, but it was a little too quick to be believable. 

However, that wasn't Halftail's top priority right now. "Well, have you seen Swifttail? I heard that he went out here," he meowed as he looked around.

Ezra smiled a bit. "Yeah. He went that way," he explained as he pointed around the Ghost. "He didn't go very far. I think he just needed some fresh air."

Halftail dipped his head in appreciation. "Thank you, Ezra," murmured Halftail as he strode forward. He turned and saw Swifttail a bit, crouched at the front of the Ghost. Surprisingly, he was curled in the sand with his tail tucked over his nose. His eyes were fixed forward and wind blew sand into his fur.

Halftail drew closer slowly. Swifttail lifted his head. "I'm focused now and I heard you coming from a mile away. However, you probably don't think that it matters, do you?"

Halftail stifled a sigh. "May I sit with you," he inquired hopefully.

Swifttail lifted his head and nodded. "Alright. I can't stop you, can I?"

Halftail had to admit that he was right as he settled beside his son in the shade. The sun could scorch a cat in this weather, especially with their thick fur. They laid for a while before Halftail knew that he couldn't stay quiet forever. "I did something that I regret," he confessed as he blinked his eyes slowly. “I was spying on you and Adlerleaf. I heard you telling her that you have been having nightmares."

Swifttail seemed a bit taken back, but he didn't seem overly angry. "I had a feeling that you were, but I didn't bother checking. I knew that you'd find out sooner or later."

“Why didn't you tell me sooner. I may have been able to help you," he pointed out as as he leaned forward and licked Swifttail's cheek. 

Swifttail lashed his tail. "What would you have been able to do? There is no cure of nightmares and you know that," he argued as his fur spiked along his spine. 

Halftail shook his head. "There not be a cure for nightmares, but I doubt that's all that happening. I saw the way that you reacted to seeing the troopers and the TIEs. It's like you almost knew that it was going to happen." 

Swifttail sat up and sighed heavily, his flank rippling as he breathed. "I had a dream that showed me that, but it ended differently. I was nervous that it was going to happen there."

“What happened in your dream," pressed Halftail, trying to get a grasp on what was truly happening. 

Swifttail thought for a heartbeat. "We all were killed. Hera didn't come to rescue us. What does it matter," he argued as his eyes narrowed.

Halftail raised a paw and smoothed the fur between his ears and a bit down his back. "It matters because I don't believe that you're only having dreams or nightmares. You're having Jedi visions."

Swifttail tilted his head. "What in the name of Starbound is a vision?"

“Language," snapped Halftail before he calmed himself. "A vision is a glimpse of the future. Jedi receive them all the time. The problem is that sometimes the visions only tell you a certain amount or the wrong information. Receiving visions is easy, but knowing what are real and what isn’t is much harder."

Swifttail seemed surprised. "So, do you mean that my nightmares aren't nightmares but visions?"

Halftail nodded, pleased that they seemed to be communicating to a certain degree. "That is exactly what I mean. I can help you sort through the visions, if you want."

“That would be great," purred Swifttail as he looked into his father's eyes. "I'm sorry that I didn't come to you sooner. You just seemed that you didn't want to talk."

Halftail sighed heavily. "I'm sorry that you got that impression. I promise that I'm never too busy to talk. I will always talk with you. You're my son and I love you."

Swifttail touched his nose to Halftail's nose and they purred. "Thanks, Dad."

Halftail dipped his head before he took his lightsaber from his belt. He passed it over to Swifttail. "Let's get some practice in before the sun goes down," he suggested.

Swifttail nodded eagerly as he reared on his hind legs and held the lightsaber with his two strong paws. Halftail tossed a rock toward Swifttail. He easily deflected it before Halftail tossed another.

Once they finished, Halftail motioned to his son. "Come on. I think that it's time to get to rest," he murmured as he strode forward with Swifttail behind him. Swifttail passed Halftail his lightsaber back and they strode into the Ghost. 

Swifttail bounded over to Adlerleaf and touched his nose to hers. They exchanged some words before Swifttail climbed the ladder, readying to find Birchfoot and their room. Halftail then saw Molis and Bluefeather climbing the ladder. Halftail then strode over to his usual spot by the hanger and he lowered down, his half tail curling around sand covered paws.

“Are you coming," inquired Kanan as he kneeled down to look at Halftail.

Halftail shook his head. "I'm alright," he assured as he rested his head on his paws, his jaws stretched wide in a yawn. "I think I'll sleep here for tonight."

Kanan smiled and stroked Halftail between the ears. "Okay. If you want to come up I'll leave my door open. Did you mend things with Swifttail?"

Halftail nodded slowly. "I believe I did. Although, he’s having visions." He let out a long sigh, hoping that no one else heard him. "We can work on it, but he's growing with the force in ways that I'm not sure I can keep up with."

“Ezra too, but we're Masters and we can figure it out," Kanan assured before he stretched. "I'll see you in the morning if you don't come up. May Starbound light your path?"

Halftail smiled before nodding. "And yours," he breathed as he watched him go. Once he was gone, he pushed against the hanger door and felt his fur prickle along his spine. He yawned and fell sound asleep.


	42. Pains of War

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Halftail notices something off about Keen and he is determined to find out what.

“Jump! Dodge! Roll, no roll!"

Keen whimpered as he fell sideways, crushed by Molis's weight. Molis leaped off of Keen and helped him to his paws quickly. "It was a valiant effort, little one," barked Molis gently as he set Keen back on shaky paws. "You'll be better, one day."

Keen pushed Molis away, growling. "I can't do this! I can't fight like a Jedi and a wolf at the same time," he argued as his tail kinked over his back. "I'm just not made for it."

Halftail shook his head calmly. “Just try again. It won't ever improve if you don't try," he pointed out as his own tail tip twitched in annoyance. 

Keen didn't seem like he cared. "You always said not to try and now I'm supposed to try. Make up your mind!”

Halftail was surprised at how vicious he sounded. "Keen, you're doing great and I commend you for your skills, but we must try harder."

Keen shook his head, baring his teeth in a snarl. "If I'm doing so great then why did Ezra get to go on the mission and I'm stuck here," he snapped.

Molis exchanged a worried glance with Halftail. Halftail gulped a bit. "It was a mission that only Ezra could execute. There are no wolf clones,” he reminded him.

Keen extended his claws, scraping against the floor of the hanger. “Maybe not, but that doesn't mean that I couldn't have helped. Ezra is my friend and I want to protect him."

“We understand that," sympathized Molis as he looked over to Keen with gentle eyes. He had adopted an almost father figure role for Keen. "But Ezra can take care of himself and so can you. That's why we train, to show you that you can take care of yourself."

Halftail lifted his head and took a step toward Keen. "Why don't we try a little bit more?"

Keen shook his head and stomped off. "I'm done!" There really wasn't a lot of places for him to go to be alone, but Halftail didn't feel like following him. First, he had trouble with Swifttail and now Keen. Were Bluefeather or Birchfoot next?

“Don't be too hard on him," sympathized Molis as he blinked his eyes to Halftail sympathetically. "I'll go speak with him and see what's really wrong. I think that there's more to this story."

Halftail watched him go and he suddenly felt alone. He decided that maybe he would do some battle training with just himself in an attempt to keep himself sharp. He sprang forward with his claws outstretched. He pretended to break the Stormtrooper’s neck, just as he had done numerous times before. He then turned and thrust his hind legs against the back of the ship. He felt the jolt through him and imagined what it would have felt like to slice through something that wasn't Stormtrooper armor. 

“What are you doing?"

Halftail turned his head and realized it was Birchfoot. Birchfoot held a syringe and some leaves clamped firmly in his jaws. Halftail chuckled as he lifted his whiskers. "Sorry. I was just practicing some battle moves. It's rare that I can actually practice by myself and not teach anyone anything."

Birchfoot nodded in understand as he strode forward and dropped some herbs at Halftail paws as well as the syringe. "I remembered that you need two a day and today you haven't even had one."

Halftail sat down and stretched out his foreleg, allowing Birchfoot to do it for him. Birchfoot slid the needle into his leg and Halftail cringed at the slightly burning pain. Once he was finished, Birchfoot drew the needle out and threw it aside. Birchfoot then nudged the herbs toward him. 

“This is for that awful cough that you still have and maybe to help you mellow down," explained Birchfoot before he sat and looked at Halftail.

Halftail lowered his head and began to chew the herbs, swallowing them in large gulps since the taste was so bad. Once he was finished, he dipped his head to Birchfoot in appreciation. "Thank you. I have to keep remembering my injection."

Birchfoot nodded. "You're right. You do need to remember since you know what happens." He then looked around. "Where is everyone? The ship seems so quiet."

Halftail let out a chuckle of amusement. "It's because Ezra isn't here," he suggested as he rose to his paws and stretched out, feeling his muscles yowl in protest. "He riles everyone up in a good way."

“You couldn't be more right," purred Birchfoot as he nodded his head. "But, he'll be back soon and I'm sure I'll be dodging him and Chopper all around the ship."

Halftail took a leap forward and gingerly pressed his head against Birchfoot's chest. "I could chase you," he offered playfully, but he knew that he shouldn't push Birchfoot too far.

Birchfoot reared on his hind leg and pushed Halftail a bit and Halftail exaggerated stumbling backwards. "I'd like to see you cause as much trouble as those two," Birchfoot dared as his eyes twinkled in amusement. 

Halftail strode over to Birchfoot and pushed his shoulder with his head affectionately. They fell sideways with Birchfoot under Halftail. Halftail purred as he battered his paws against Birchfoot's muzzle softly. Birchfoot raised his head and pushed his head against Halftail's stomach. Halftail leaped backward and allowed Birchfoot to rise to his paws slowly.

Birchfoot struggled, but he couldn't bring himself to it. Halftail sunk his teeth into Birchfoot's scruff and hauled him the rest of the way to his paws. Birchfoot dipped his head a bit, panting profusely. "I guess I'm not the kind of fighter that I thought I was," he breathed painfully.

Halftail shook his head vigorously. “You're a wonderful fighter, especially with the force. One day you'll show everyone what a great fighter you are."

Birchfoot shrugged. "I don't know about that, but thanks for trying to make me feel better. By the way, have you seen Adlerleaf?"

Halftail thought for a heartbeat before shrugging. "She's probably with Swifttail it I had to ask. They always seem to be together these days," he muttered, a bit jealous, but he knew that his son had liked Adlerleaf from the heartbeat that he had laid eyes on her.

Birchfoot dipped his head. "Thanks. I need Swifttail's help reorganizing our stores and Adlerleaf can help if she wants," he murmured as he strode toward the ladder. He was having a much easier time hauling himself up and leaping from rung to rung. Halftail had to give him credit, it was hard with four legs let alone three.

Halftail then heard Kanan's voice. He looked up and saw his friend above him. "Have we heard anything from Ezra," he inquired, causing Kanan to jump a bit. 

Kanan sighed before he shook his head. Halftail could tell that he was worried. It had taken a lot for Ezra to convince him that he was ready for such an important task and now Kanan seemed to be regretting it. "Not a thing."

Halftail whiskered his tail behind him. "I'm sure that he's fine," he meowed with confidence in his mew. "He's done a lot worse when he was on his own and at least now he has us!"

“And look how well that's gone," reported Kanan sharply. 

Halftail was a bit taken back, but he just shrugged. "He'll be fine, I'm sure of it. You just need to have more faith," he breathed as he remembered what his Master had used to tell him. His Master had once held faith him, but it was a different kind of faith. A faith that was difficult to extend because Halftail had been so sickly.

“You're the one to talk about faith. You still treat Swifttail like he's a kit," muttered Kanan shortly.

Halftail's fur stood on end. "He is still a kit," he shot back tersely. "And besides, he's all that I have left and I want to protect him. However, I trust him with my life. Do you trust Ezra with yours?"

Kanan didn't answer. Halftail knew what that meant. "Exactly," grumbled Halftail as he climbed the ladder and strode away from Kanan with his nose held high in disgust. He didn't need Kanan to answer to know what he was thinking. Halftail trusted Swifttail in any mission, he just didn't like to place him there. They had a closeness that couldn't be achieved by Kanan and Ezra without work on both of their parts. 

Halftail padded down the hallway and looked up to where they had placed Bine's picture that Sabine had painted for him. It was where everyone could see and remember her by. He had caught Swifttail sitting and staring up at it numerous times since it had been set up. He had chided him for it at the time, but Halftail knew he would do the same thing, so he really didn't have any room to talk. However, now wasn't the time to stop and admire it. He was going to see if Molis had made it anywhere with Keen.

He heard Molis's deep voice booming from his and Keen's room. They shared it with Zeb and Ezra too, which made it sort of cramped at times. Halftail pushed his way in to see Molis still trying to talk with Keen. Keen growled and turned away, his wings pressed against his side so tightly that Halftail could barely tell that he had wings.

“How is it going," he murmured from the entrance. He could feel still feel the hostility like a cloud above them.

Molis twitched an ear. "He's as stubborn as anything, but then again, I wonder where he gets that from," he muttered dryly with narrowed eyes.

Halftail shrugged before he leaned forward. "Leave me with him and see if I can get him to talk," he meowed toward Molis, hoping that he would listen.

Molis rose to his paws and dipped his head thankfully. "Good luck with that!" He stormed out of the room and Halftail wondered what Keen had said to him to make him that angry. Molis was usually calm and cool, but whatever Keen had said to him, had rocked him to his core.

“What's wrong Keen? We can't help you if you don't tell us," pointed out Halftail as he plopped himself beside his Padawan.

Keen slid away before he growled fiercely at Halftail. "It's none of your business!" When he spoke the fur along his spine stood on end and began to bristle.

“Actually it is," argued Halftail as he tried to keep his cool. "I want to help you and I can't if you don't speak to me. Swifttail had the same problem with talking to me and now look how bright and youthful he looks,” he joked.

Keen just rolled his eyes. "That's probably because he's always with Adlerleaf."

Halftail chuckled and nodded. "Yes, him and Adlerleaf are very close. They've been close for more moons than I can count. That's just the way it goes."

“What if I don't want that to be the way it goes," challenged Keen as his whole body tensed.

Halftail tilted his head in surprise. "What is that supposed to mean?"

Keen gnawed at the fur on the back of his foreleg a bit before he shook his head to clear it. “N-Nothing," he stammered in a short tone.

“Is this about how much time Bluefeather is spending with Molis," he wondered, knowing that if it was, Keen may snap more than he needed.

“No," snarled Keen as he rose to his paws and his hackles seemed to grow. "Why would you think it's about Bluefeather and Molis?!”

“Because it is," answered Halftail with a polite point of his muzzle. "I know I'm not the only that's noticed them become closer and closer these past few moons."

Keen's eyes widened in surprise and rage. "They're not close!"

Halftail sighed as he lowered down before he motioned for Keen to do the same. Keen was reluctant as he slowly lowered down and muttered under his breath. "This is about Bluefeather and Molis, isn't it?"

“Don't say their names in the same sentence," he scolded as his claws extended a bit and Halftail worried that he was going to launch himself at Halftail at any moment. Once Keen settled, he looked away in embarrassment. "Bluefeather really likes him, doesn't he?"

Halftail knew that he couldn’t like to Keen. He nodded slowly. “I believe so. Is that so bad?"

Keen grimaced before nodding. "It was just her and I for so long and now her heart belongs to someone else now," muttered Keen into his chest fur.

Halftail nudged Keen gingerly as understanding washed over him. “This is a different kind of love," he explained as he recalled his love with Bine and his love with Swifttail. It was very different. "This kind is much different from the kind of love that you have with Bluefeather."

“Is it like Bluefeather and my mother," pressed Keen with interest making his ears prick. 

Halftail hadn't really heard Keen talk a lot about his parents. He was always so guarded and lashed out at anyone who mentioned them. Halftail wondered if Keen would be open to discussing them now. "Keen, can you tell me about your parents?"

Keen's eyes glazed over. "What do you want to know?"


	43. Forbidden Affection

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Halftail finally learns more about Keen.

Flashback

“Bluebird," hissed a large black and dark blue male wolf with such black feathery wings that it looked like raven wings. His pale yellow eyes gleamed in the moonlight, while reflecting alarm and terror.

A beautiful blue she-wolf with dazzling blue eyes and white feathery wings lifted her head in panic. She was standing over a small blue male wolf pup with shimmering blue eyes. He was only a few moons old and he had no idea what was going on around him. "What is is, Sparn?"

Sparn's ears stood on his end as a growl rolled in the back of his throat. He turned his head to look at another blue she-wolf with blue wings instead of white like the other she-wolf. She was slightly larger than Bluebird with lanky legs. She hovered close to the small pup as well, just in case something made it past Bluebird.

“They're are leaving so we must leave too," confessed Sparn as he looked up to Bluebird with concern and grief lighting in his once steady gaze.

Bluebird stood erect and looked to the other she-wolf. "You'll look after Keeneyes, won't you, Bluefeather?" Her eyes were pleading and almost blank as if she had lost vigor for life.

Bluefeather bowed her head as she looked at her nephew. "Of course, Bluebird. I will guard him with my life, but are you sure that you have to go?"

Bluebird stretched out her muzzle and touched her nose to her sister's nose. "I'm sure, Bluefeather. I don't want to, but I must protect my son and this is the best way. The Empire wants our heads and the only thing we can do is leave to protect our son."

Bluefeather looked over to a very young Ezra across the room. They had been living with his family since before Ezra or Keeneyes was born. However, things had changed and now they were all in danger. Bluefeather would be responsible for not only Keeneyes, but Ezra too. No one was left behind in this family.

“We must go," grumbled Sparn before he took a step forward and touched his nose to Keeneyes's ears to draw his attention.

Keeneyes lifted his head a bit with his blue eyes round with fear. "Where are you going, Daddy," he whimpered as he tucked his wings closer to his sides.

Sparn rumbled in affection before he licked Keeneyes's cheek fondly. "I love you," he breathed in his son's ear before he took a step back. "Be safe."

Bluebird then lowered over him and nearly sobbed into his neck fur. Her tears soaked deep into his fur and it made him shiver. "I love you and I promise that I'll see you again one day."

“Bluebird," coaxed Sparn as he sunk his teeth into his mate's scruff gingerly and hauled her back from their son. If he would leave her to say good-bye herself they'd probably be there for moons.

Bluebird followed Ezra's parents out after they had said good-bye to their son. Sparn was about to follow, but Keeneyes lifted a paw and grazed his father's wing. "Daddy,” Keeneyes murmured as he looked up at his father.

Sparn smiled halfheartedly before he rubbed his wing slightly over his son's paw. He then looked over to Bluefeather, who was crouched beside Ezra. "Be good for Bluefeather and listen to everything that she tells you."

With that he bunched his muscles and sprang after his mate. Keeneyes huddled in on himself and hung his head, not knowing that he would never see his parents again.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Halftail gave his head a fair nod as he heard what Keen had just told him. "I never saw either of them after that. Bluefeather told me that they had probably been killed, but I don't know for sure. I still hold onto the hope that they were just captured and not killed."

“I'm so sorry," breathed Halftail as he thought about how much the Empire had taken from everyone, not just this little pup. He may not be able to help everyone, but he was determined to help Keen.

Keen sniffed a bit as the memory flooded him. "I don't suppose that they are still alive, are they," he wondered as he turned his eyes up at Halftail.

Halftail worked his claws a bit under him. He was pretty sure that the Empire hadn't taken them prisoner but he wasn't sure. "I don't know, Keen," confessed Halftail as he watched Keen lower down a bit as if his dreams were crushed. "But, I do know if they are alive they probably aren't in the best conditions unless they cooperated."

“They would never," spat Keen as his tail lashed out fiercely. 

Halftail raised a paw. "Easy. I'm sure that they didn't, but I'm just saying. Anyway, why are you so against Bluefeather having a mate?"

Keen blinked his eyes a bit before narrowing them. "I'm not totally against it. It's just that I've been with Bluefeather for forever and I love her like a mother. I know she’s not, but she's the closest thing that I have and if she had pups-"

“You're afraid that you wouldn't be the most important thing to her anymore," he murmured as he tipped his head a bit in understanding. "You know that she'll always have a special place in her heart for you."

Keen shrugged a bit. "It doesn't matter how I feel. Molis is what she cares about now. One day when they have pups I'll be forgotten about. I'll be just a past memory," he growled as he clicked his teeth together before he threw his head sideways, his ears plastered against his head.

“I doubt that," meowed Halftail as he rose to his paws. "Molis loves you like a father and Bluefeather like a mother. Even if they have new pups they won't treat you any different. They'll just be another litter and you'll be like their older littermate, who will show them everything that they need to know."

Keen tilted his head. "What do they need to know?"

Halftail chuckled a bit. "You tell me," he purred as he cuffed Keen's ear gently. “What did Bluefeather and your parents teach you? Whatever they did, you would help teach them."

Keen hadn't thought about that. "Do you really think that Bluefeather will still care about me if she has pups of her own to take care of?"

Halftail leaned forward and touched his nose to Keen’s cheek. "I'm sure of it," he purred and Keen chuckled as he reared on his hind legs and pushed Halftail away. Halftail copied Keen and reared on his hind legs and thrust his paws on Keen's shoulders. Keen puffed underneath him before he rolled out from under Halftail and leaped on his back, pawing at his muzzle and ears. Halftail growled in annoyance as he just narrowed his eyes, Keen drawing back when he realized that Halftail had enough playing around.

“Why don't you ask Swifttail to play with you," suggested Halftail. "He should be finished helping Birchfoot and I know how much he likes to battle train."

Keen lifted his head. "Okay. I'm sure that I'll be able to overpower him this time," he assured as he darted from the room, leaving Halftail alone in his wake.

He swiped his tail over his paws before he started forward and out of Ezra’s and Zeb's room. He strode outward and flicked his ears as Swifttail and Keen strode forward, pawing at each other and trying to knock each over. Halftail watched them go before he pushed forward and toward the cockpit.

He leaped onto a seat behind Bluefeather. He thrust a paw against Bluefeather's ear and she turned around, gasping in terror. When she realized it was Halftail she bared her teeth in a snarl. "Not funny!"

“I thought it was," purred Halftail as he sat back, his tail swiveling under him. "Have you heard anything lately from Ezra?"

Hera turned and shook her head. "Not yet, but don't count him out. I have full faith in him," she assured before she turned back to the vastness of space that rushed past them.

Bluefeather spun around and looked at Halftail with pride glowing in her eyes as she motioned to some of the levels and switches in front of her. "Hera's been teaching me a lot about flying a ship like the Ghost. I hope one day to be her copilot!"

“You already are," pointed out Hera as she smiled at Bluefeather. "When you learn more, I'll give you more responsibility, but you're still my copilot."

Bluefeather blushed ever so slightly. Halftail purred before he leaped down. "You two seem to have everything under control here."

“That we do," pipped back Hera before Halftail strode from the cockpit and padded toward Birchfoot's room. He saw that the room was much cleaner and he gave a small nod or approval. 

Birchfoot looked up and smiled. "Swifttail certainly did a good job in here with Adlerleaf keeping him focused. She's a great she-cat, isn't she?"

Halftail purred and nodded. "Certainly. She seems to push Swifttail further than he could be pushed by me. Birchfoot, may I seek your advice on something?”

Birchfoot seemed a bit surprised, but he nodded. "Sure. I don't know much help I can be, but you can certainly try and help you," he meowed as he thrust his head sideways, inviting Halftail further in.

Halftail strode in and sat beside Birchfoot. The healer slowly sat down and looked over to Halftail. "Swifttail is training to be a Jedi, right?"

Birchfoot tilted his head. "Is that a trick question? If not, then yes, Swifttail is training to be a Jedi as well as a healer," he answered tentatively. 

Halftail bit his tongue. "Yes, so doesn't that mean that as a Jedi you're not allowed to have a mate or attachment to anyone," he recited.

Birchfoot swayed a bit on his paws. "You are a Jedi and you had a mate and kits. Don't tell me that you didn't have attachment to Bine or your kits."

Halftail frowned. "I'm not saying that at all. Besides, look how well that turned out," he grumbled as the imagine of Bine laying dead at his paws flashed through his mind. He blinked open his eyes and he shook his head to clear it. "He's obviously not listening to my warning about what love could do."

Birchfoot snorted in amusement. "He's young and in love. I'm sure that you and Bine were the same way back then," he pointed out with a flick of his tail tip.

“We were and I want to spare him from the pain because of what love can be," he meowed with a memory as if a sharp pain was thrust through him. 

Birchfoot leaned forward, his whiskers twitching. "You're right. Love can hurt, but it can also be wonderful. Without love Swifttail wouldn't have been here," he breathed, hot on Halftail's muzzle that made Halftail want to draw back in uncomfortableness. 

“I don't regret my love with Bine at all, but I don't want what happened to me to happen to Swifttail," he confessed as he drew back, puffing out his chest fur a bit, but it wasn't in confidence. 

Birchfoot straightened before he lowered to lick his twisted leg. "You can't protect them forever. Eventually they make their own decisions and with that comes hurt, but also learning. You can't always soften the blow for them. If the Empire has taught me anything, it's that."

Halftail turned to look away, his ears plastered against his head. "I wish I could. So do you think that I should stop Swifttail from being so close with Adlerleaf?"

Birchfoot shook his head, his eyes falling. "I may be a bit biased, but I want Adlerleaf to have a happy ending and Swifttail too. At least let them have that. Other Jedi in history have had a mate and kits, trust me, I know."

Halftail didn't need to pry, but he guessed that it meant more to Birchfoot than he knew, but he just nodded. He had already had one heart to heart today and that was enough. “Okay. I'll keep quiet for now, but I can't promise that it'll stay that way."

The ground suddenly began to vibrate and Halftail lifted his head as Sabine and Zeb darted forward from the kitchen area. Birchfoot and Halftail exchanged a worried glance before lumbering forward and poking their noses outside of the room. "What's wrong," inquired Birchfoot as his ears twitched in surprise.

Sabine turned her head with her helmet on. "It's Ezra, he's in trouble."


	44. Trouble

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Halftail realizes that trouble lurks everywhere.

Halftail's heart sank. "What do you mean Ezra's in trouble?"

“Just follow us. Kanan called for us," grumbled Zeb as he continued forward with Sabine following close behind. Halftail darted after them with Birchfoot still struggling to limp after them. 

They all made their way to the cockpit where Kanan and Hera were talking quietly, yet urgently, to themselves. Halfatil cleared his throat and Kanan turned his head, breaking up the conversation. 

“We hear that Ezra is in trouble," meowed Halftail as he curled his tail over his back, hoping that he wasn't interrupting something very important.

Kanan narrowed his eyes and Halftail drew back a bit. "He's hardly in too much trouble, but we should probably get him out of there sooner rather than later.”

That was about the closest that Kanan would get to admitting that Ezra may need help. “So what are you going to do about it," inquired Molis as his tail lashed behind him.

Kanan looked over and his gaze met Molis's eye. "We're going to send Zeb and Sabine down there to break him out of there," he explained.

Adlerleaf and Molis took a step toward their companions. "We're going too," announced Adlerleaf as she gave Kanan a firm nod. He wasn't about to argue with her, so he gave a slight dip of his head.

“What about me," puffed Keen as he took a step forward, his ears lifting on his head a bit. 

Bluefeather turned her head over to Keen and her eyes flashed in alarm. "You most certainly aren't going anywhere," she argued as her ears were shoved forward. "At least not without Halftail or I."

Keen looked upward and his eyes hardened in frustration, but when he spoke he wasn't disrespectful. "If Ezra is truly in trouble then I want to be there to help. I can do this, Bluefeather. You have to trust me."

Molis took a step forward and stepped over Keen a bit. "I'll make sure that he stays out of trouble," he assured as he dipped his head to Bluefeather.

Bluefeather bit her lip and sighed as she looked at Keen. "Alright, but listen to everything that Molis says and don't do anything fish-brained."

Keen swiftly pivoted and pushed his head against Molis's leg to try and push him to move. "I will. I will. Now let's go," he barked quickly before Molis or Bluefeather could change their minds.

Halftail watched as Swifttail touched his nose to Adlerleaf's ear and something sparked through Halftail. He saw Swifttail whisper something in her ear before she drew back and bounded after Sabine. Zeb brought up the rear and Halftail hoped that Keen going wouldn't be a mistake.

“Are you nervous," wondered Birchfoot as he limped over to Halftail as he blinked his eyes slowly.

Halftail smiled. "He did live very well without me. Besides, he has Adlerleaf and Molis to watch over him. I think that he'll do fine," he meowed, but his voice was tight and gave away his fear.

Birchfoot rose to his paws and looked over to Swifttail. "Come on, Swifttail. If anything happens then we'll need our herb stores," he pointed out as he started forward with Swifttail about to follow.

Halftail stopped him and Swifttail looked up, surprise lighting in his eyes. "May I speak with you," inquired Halftail in a rumbling whisper.

Swifttail's eyes lit in confusion. "S-Sure," he stammered as he sat down, his paws quickly scanning his father's face before resting on his paws. "Did I do something wrong?"

Halftail shook his head. "No, of course not. I just wanted to ask you what you said to Adlerleaf," he meowed as he tried to force Swifttail to look into his eyes.

Swifttail looked up and shrugged. "Is that it? I just told her to be safe and I hoped that Starbound would light her path. There's nothing wrong with that, is there?"

There was a slight challenge in his mew. Halftail knew better than to argue about something like that to his son, so he just shrugged. "No, there isn't. Now you don't want to keep Birchfoot waiting."

Swifttail seemed a bit on edge, but he didn't say anything else. He turned and bounded out of the cockpit in an effort to get away from his father. 

“What was that about," inquired Bluefeather as she took a step beside Halftail before she sat down, her eyes searching Halftail's face for an answer when he didn't speak.

Eventually, Halftail just flicked a paw. "I have no idea. He's just a bit on edge. I may have offended him, but he's at that age where I can't tell. Keen will reach it one day and you'll not be sure what to do."

Bluefeather gave a snort of amusement. "I know and I'm not looking forward to it. Well, I hope that things get better between you two," she murmured as she turned back to the controls so she could help Hera.

Halftail strode from the cockpit and padded to the edge of the top of the hanger to peer down at the cluster of crew members as they left. He just hoped that Kanan was right and that Ezra was alright.


	45. Motherly

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Halftail seeks out Bluefeather to speak about her past.

After they dropped Adlerleaf, Sabine, Zeb, Molis, and Keen off, Halftail couldn't stop pacing and he didn't know why. It was almost worse than Bluefeather's stomping and grumbling. They just had different ways of expressing their fears. Eventually he realized that pacing was getting him nowhere. He could feel Kanan through the force, who seemed just as worried as him. 

He threw his head sideways and he realized that he needed to do something productive. He strode into the cockpit and saw Hera and Kanan still talking. Bluefeather was sitting in a seat behind Hera, looking at her paws while she seemed to be repeating something softly into her chest fur. Halftail drew forward and flicked his ears upward to see if he could catch it.

Bluefeather turned and smiled when she realized he was there. "Oh, hi, Halftail. I didn't realize you were here. How long have you been standing there," she murmured softly.

Halftail shrugged. "Not long," he assured as he leaped onto a seat behind Kanan. He slumped a bit, not wanting Bluefeather to go back to her muttering. "I'm sure that Keen will be fine. He has a lot of eyes watching over him."

Bluefeather smiled, but it was certainly forced. "I know. I'm sorry if I stepped on your paws. I should have asked if it was alright with you for Keen to go with them," she apologized.

“It's not a problem. I would have said that he could go. However, I'm glad that you told him to go," Halftail meowed as he licked a paw and drew it over his ear in quick grooming. "I know that was probably hard for you to let him go. You two are extremely close."

Bluefeather's eyes gleamed. "We are. Every since his parents died it was only us and Ezra. I raised them both, which wasn't easy, but I felt like it was my duty. That was what was asked from me."

Halftail couldn't imagine raising a nephew and a human child while living on the streets and with the Empire closing in. "I commend you."

Bluefeather shook her head almost dismissively. “I love them like they were my own. I just want to protect them. They're growing up, though, so they don't need me like they used to," she confessed. Her voice almost seemed sullen.

“They will always need you," assured Halftail quickly. Even as Swifttail grew older, Halftail still knew that he needed him. He may not admit it, but Swifttail did need his father. "You raised them more than their parents were able to."

Bluefeather shuffled her paws embarrassment. “That was the Empire's fault. They left to protect those that they loved. I commend them for actually leaving. I know how much it hurt my sister and her mate."

“How long were they able to be with Keen," pressed Halftail. Bine had only seen Swifttail for a few heartbeats, but the longer you're with a kit, the longer you grow attached to them. 

Bluefeather raised a paw and he wiped a tear away. "Not as long as they would’ve liked. It was enough time to get to know him and his littler personality. However, a lifetime wouldn’t have been enough time for them. They wanted to be there for his whole life. It just didn't work like that."

Halftail licked his lips, unsure of what to say to make things better for Bluefeather. He couldn’t change what had happened and he wasn’t sure if all these questions were bringing up painful memories. "If you don't mind me asking, why did they decide to name him Keen?" That was certainly an interesting name and he wouldn't have thought of it. 

Bluefeather chuckled as she swayed her head a bit, more tears falling from her face. "Keen was an only pup, there was only one in the litter. He was certainly howling and wailing the moment he was born and keen does mean a loud, grief filled wailing. The better reason, though, was because as soon as he opened his eyes we saw how handsome and blue they were. That's when they named him Keeneyes."

Halftail drew back a bit, surprised. "I never knew that his name was Keeneyes. Why is it Keen now?"

Bluefeather shrugged a bit before she turned her head and flicked more tears from her eyes with her wings. "He asked to change it. It reminded him too much of his past and his parents. I would find him crying at night for moons after I told him that his parents weren't coming back. That's when we changed his name to Keen."

“I'm so sorry that the Empire did this to you," sympathized Halftail as he dipped his head in respect. He just wished the Empire knew what happened to good families like this.

Bluefeather shrugged. "You lost a lot too thanks to the Empire as well. I've heard Molis talking a lot about your mate. Bine, right," she inquired.

At the mention of Bine, a purr seemed to fill Halftail as he nodded. "You're right. I lost my mate and my two kits. But, I still have Swifttail and I will be forever thankful." 

“I will be thankful for Keen and Ezra forever," vowed Bluefeather as she arched her back in a small stretch, showing her beautiful flowing wings. Despite himself, Halftail envied her.

Halftail dipped his head. "They love you very much, however, I see the way that you look at Molis. Don't try and deny it because I've been through it many moons ago."

Bluefeather blushed and she turned her head away from Halftail’s accusing gaze. "Well, I didn't have a chance to find a mate. As soon as the war started and the Republic crumbled, I had to stay with my sister and her mate to protect myself. Keen wasn't even a thought at the time, but Ezra was born. I helped as much as I could, but then things got tough. I took on the mother role when everyone had to leave, but finding a mate was never a concern for me. Besides, Lothal males aren't the best, except for Sparn."

Halftail knew how toms could be especially since he was one. Finding a good one was hard, but for him, finding a wonderful she-cat was even harder. Bine had been just a blessing to him and he hoped that he was a blessing to her. He would never know, but that was his hope. "I can tell that Molis likes you. He was pretty cold and callous when I met him, but you seemed to change his mind set. He actually appears, you know, happy."

Bluefeather perked up. “I’m glad I make him happy. I just don't know how Keen would react."

Halftail froze at that. He knew how Keen would react and it hadn’t been promising. However, he really wasn't ready to tell Bluefeather that just yet. "I'm sure he'll be fine with it," he lied loosely.

“I'm not sure about that, Halftail. I just hope that he understands how I feel," she murmured as she lifted a paw to scratch behind her ears.

Halftail was about to say something else, but before he could, he heard a beeping noise. A comm was coming in! "Is Keen okay," Bluefeather broke out before she drew back after a harsh shushing from Hera.

Ezra suddenly appeared on the hologram and it made Halftail settle. "The plans have changed," confessed Ezra as he looked down almost in shame.

“What kind of change," inquired Halftail as he leaned forward, almost falling off the seat.

Ezra looked over to Halftail. "I just need you to be at the point that we discussed. We're going to have to go a little deeper than we discussed.”

Bluefeather gulped at that and Halftail remembered what she had said about raising them. She hadn't really been apart from Ezra since he was a child. 

“Ezra, I don't like this," confessed Kanan, his voice strained

Before anyone could say anything else, they jumped to hyperspace and Halftail sunk his claws into a seat, leaving a mark. Kanan swore as he thrust his hands on the control panel. 

“It's okay," assured Hera in her usual calm voice that she usually used to calm down Kanan. He listened to her in a surprising way. "He's been alone on his own before we came along."

Bluefeather leaned forward and narrowed her eyes. "Not completely alone," she muttered darkly.

Halftail looked over to Halftail. "It's okay, Bluefeather. They're not alone. I promise that everything will be alright," he vowed as he blinked his eyes at her gently.

Bluefeather drew back and she pressed her head against the back of the seat, closing her eyes and breathing deeply. Halftail hoped that he was right, but then again, he knew that they were capable. He and Kanan had done Jedi training with them and he was sure that they would use it. 

They sped through hyperspace and Halftail hoped that they would be there in time.


	46. Love in Hard

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Halftail’s worries are put at ease about Keen, but he quickly finds more to worry about when it comes to Swifttail.

When they finally landed, the hanger door opened and hope flared in Halftail's chest. He saw Ezra and Keen, both safe. Molis, Sabine, Adlerleaf, and Zeb were there as well, but Halftail's eyes were rested on Keen.

“Keen," he purred as he bounded forward and touched his nose to Keen's ear.

Keen looked up with glowing eyes. "Halftail, you should have been there! It was amazing! You should have seen what we did," rambled Keen as he jumped a bit on his paws, his tail wagging madly. 

Halftail looked up and tilted his head as his gaze rested on Molis and Adlerleaf. "What was so 'amazing' about it," he inquired.

Adlerleaf dipped her head a bit, her fur clumped with sweat and ruffled from her time in battle. "We'll tell you about it later, but right now I think we all need some rest."

Halftail dipped his head, stepping aside as Adlerleaf strode forward. She stopped in front of Swifttail and the two touched noses, purring warmly and affectionately. Halftail's heart ached in his chest, but he didn't say anything. He watched as they strode into the hanger door.

Molis was dusty and mud caked his face. Bluefeather darted forward and they exchanged some words before she began to groom his fur with quick rasps of her tongue.

The two strode into the hanger, Molis limping while Bluefeather helped support his weight. Birchfoot was waiting impatiently, walking forward to usher Molis forward, his tail kinked over his back. Bluefeather was right behind while Sabine and Zeb lumbered forward, as dirty and tired looking as both Molis and Adlerleaf. 

There was also a young boy who seemed to be Ezra's age standing next to Ezra. Kanan motioned him forward, promising that they would get him back to his family. At least he still had one. 

Halftail turned back to Keen and he licked him between the ears, tasting dirt and grit. "I'm very proud of you," praised Halftail as a deep purr rolled in the back of his throat.

Keen wagged his tail before meeting Halftail’s gaze proudly. "You should have seen us! We did some amazing things and we hurt the Empire!"

Halftail rested his tail across Keen's shoulders. "Come on," he rumbled as he rolled his eyes. "Let's get you cleaned up and you can tell me all about it."

They all strode into the Ghost with the hanger door closing behind them. Keen laid down across from Adlerleaf as Swifttail began to lap at her dirty fur in an attempt to clean it. 

“We took down the Empire," boasted Keen as his chest heaved in exhaustion. 

Adlerleaf turned her head and purred gently. "We hurt part of the Empire, we didn't take it down yet," she chided as she stretched out her tail and flicked it against his ear good-naturally. “Don't get ahead of yourself, little one."

Keen smiled before he rested his head on his paws. Halftail lowered his head and began to groom his fur between his shoulders. It really didn't do much to clean the dust and dirt from his once brilliant blue fur, but Halftail wanted Keen to at least feel cooler. 

Birchfoot strode over and looked at Keen. "I'll give him some thyme to calm him down and poppy to sleep. After a good nights sleep he should feel a lot better," he meowed before he pushed the herbs over to Keen.

Keen sniffed them slightly in distain before he sunk his teeth into them and began to chew painfully. It was bitter and tasted awful. Halftail knew from experience. Once Keen was finished, he yawned and rested his head on his paws as Halftail continued to groom Keen's pelt. Once he knew that he couldn't get anything else out he drew back and looked over to Adlerleaf and Swifttail. They were laying extremely close to each other with their fur brushing and tails intertwined.

“It's a beautiful thing, Halftail," whispered Birchfoot in his friend's ear as he hovered beside him. "Please don't ruin this for my sister."

Halftail looked up to Birchfoot and sighed heavily. "I know but-"

“Let's not talk about this now," he meowed as he flicked a paw across Halftail’s nose. "Get some rest yourself. You worked yourself up worrying about them."

Halftail let out a throaty purr. "Don't act like you didn't worry about your sister," he chided before he rolled his eyes and rested his head back on his paws.

Birchfoot's eyes widened. "Oh, I always worry about my sister. I just don't let it show. That's how it had to be on the streets. I couldn't live without her, but she doesn't need to know that."

Before Halftail could ask anymore questions, Birchfoot was already limping away. He settled beside Molis, continuing to look at his injured leg. He began to make a poultice of chewed up herbs with Halftail looking back to Adlerleaf and Swifttail. He couldn't bring himself to look away. They looked too much like him and Bine when they were much younger and deeply in love. Life happened so soon after and it all changed everything, and not for the better either.

He couldn't bare to stay there and be powerless to help, so he rose to his paws, leaving Keen and the rest of the crew laying and resting. He climbed the ladder and strode over the cockpit, his half tail swaying behind him. He pushed his way into the cockpit and sat in a seat beside Hera. He was surprised that Kanan wasn't with her but, he decided to take this opportunity to ask her for some advice.

“Halftail, you look so bent out of shape. What's wrong," inquired Hera as she blinked her eyes at Halftail.

Halftail looked over to her, his ears plastered against his head and his whiskers dropping. "I'm sorry, but can I talk to you," he inquired hopefully before he shook his head in frustration. "I shouldn't be asking everyone else for advice on this! I'm a Jedi for StarBound sake!”

Hera smiled gently. "It doesn't matter. Kanan confides in me all the time, even if he won't admit it," she told him gently. "You can talk to me about anything. I know that you would talk to Bine, but we all know that she's not here."

Halftail lifted his whiskers while his ears were still plastered against his head. "Really? He never told me that, but he's more proud than me." He shook his head to clear it before he turned back to Hera. "It's just that I'm seeing my son travel down the exact same path I did. I don't want him to get hurt."

“But you want him to be happy, don't you?"

Halftail spun around, his claws extending into the edge of the seat. “Of course! I just don't want him to get hurt," he repeated, wondering why Hera didn't seem to understand. 

Hera swiveled her chair and rested a hand on his shoulder. "Sometimes you need to let kids experience life. Besides, just because you lost Bine doesn't mean that Swifttail will lose Adlerleaf."

Halftail brushed the hand off of his shoulder with his stub of a tail. "Alright, I'll try, but I just don't want him to have the same pain that I went through," he confessed as he bit his lip. "Thank you, Hera."

Hera chuckled as she leaned back against her seat, her arms cross over her chest. "No problem! It was nice to speak to you again like we used to. I was afraid that you were avoiding me after Bine died," she murmured as she ran a hand up her arm uncomfortably.

Halftail shook his head quickly. "That wasn't it at all! I just thought that you blamed me for Bine's death. After all, it was my fault," he muttered as his tail lashed.

Hera frowned before she looked into Halftail's eyes. "I don't blame you at all. The only person that blames you for Bine's death is you. You need to let that go, Halftail.”

Halftail had heard that before from almost anyone. It was certainly easier said than done. “I-I'll try," he stammered as he dipped his head before he stepped from the seat.

“Are you alright," called Hera over her shoulder.

Halftail didn't answer. He didn't want to answer, he just wanted to be alone. He knew that some called him cold and distant, and that may be true, but they hadn't been through what he had been through. He passed Bine's picture stiffly, his hind leg beginning to drag, but instead of affection he felt only rage. He surged forward, passing it and charging into his room.

Luckily, Kanan wasn't in there and Halftail was relieved. He took out the remaining serums that he had and threw them on the ground with shaky paws. They shattered into a million glass pieces with liquid oozing all over the ground. He kept thrusting them down and each time he did satisfaction surged through him. 

“What are you doing?!"

Halftail turned and quickly realized that Kanan was standing at the door with horror showing on his face. 

Halftail didn't care. He kept thrusting them down and acted like he didn't hear Kanan approaching. Kanan darted forward and picked up Halftail by the scruff, making him drop the remainder of his vials on the ground. Kanan caught them with the force before Kanan thrust Halftail onto their bed roughly.

Halftail groaned in pain before Kanan set the injections down. He grasped Halftail's face and forced him to look him in the eyes. "What are you doing," Kanan repeated in a calmer voice.

Halftail tried to pull away from Kanan, but Kanan was stronger than Halftail gave him credit for. "Nothing," he lied as his paws turned into fists as if he was ready to fight.

Kanan saw this and he drew back, raising his hands in the air so that Halftail didn't see him as a threat. "You need these, Halftail," Kanan reminded him as he raised one in front of Halftail's face.

Halftail rolled sideways on the bed and he closed his eyes before he brought his paws up to his face, moaning loudly. "Kanan, I had a vision. I had a vision," he kept repeating with his tail sticking straight out.

Kanan took the needle and flicked the top. Once he was sure it worked, he straightened Halftail's leg and injected the serum into it. Halftail groaned, but once the liquid flooded his bloodstream, he perked up. His breathing returned to normal and his body relaxed a bit. Halftail looked up and gulped. 

“What type of vision," murmured Kanan gently.

Halftail blinked his eyes in remembrance. "It was fuzzy, but I definitely saw Swifttail standing over the dead body of Adlerleaf. I keep asking everyone if I should break it up and they say to let them have love, but I can't live with it. Not when I’ve seen what will happen!”

Kanan drew back, stroking his beard thoughtfully. "You can't tell them not to have a relationship because you think you know what’s going to happen. It may not.”

Halftail gulped. "So you want me to act like it won't happen?"

Kanan shrugged as he rested his hands on his knees, gripping them tightly. "That might be the best option," he breathed as he stroked Halftail. "I know that you love Swifttail and care for them, but we can't protect them from everything."

Halftail knew that was true. He turned his eyes toward the glass and serum on the ground. "Did I do that," he gasped, not remembering his rage and what he had done.

Kanan sighed a bit. "Don't worry. Hera is going on a supply mission after we drop off that kid. I'll make sure she tells Fulcrum what we need," he assured.

“Thank you. I don't know where I would be without you," he murmured as he rested his head on Kanan’s thigh, sighing heavily in contentment.

Kanan chuckled as he ran his fingers through Halftail’s fur as he listened to him purr in enjoyment. “I don’t know where I’d be without you either. My life certainly wouldn’t be as interesting, that’s for sure.”

Halftail smiled as he started to drift off into a peaceful slumber.


	47. Loyalties Tested

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A supply mission for Fulcrum has the Ghost crew raising some important questions.

Swifttail scrunched his eyes tight while his stomach flipped. His claws extended and he struggled to breathe as the Phantom jerked and swerved all over. The only thing that made it bearable was that Adlerleaf was sitting across from him as was Sabine. Ezra was sitting next to her and he looked almost pale. 

Sabine was becoming more antsy than Swifttail and Adlerleaf was. "Hera, shouldn't we, I don't know, shoot back," she offered as the Phantom jerked again and Swifttail was nearly thrown forward once more.

Hera didn't look backwards as she called over her shoulder. "It's all part of the plan!”

“How is this part of the plan," argued Adlerleaf as she squeezed her eyes shut, her stomach churning thanks to the sudden motion.

Ezra looked over at her. "I agree with Adlerleaf. If the plan is to be shot out of the sky then we're doing an amazing job," he muttered.

Hera smiled and let out a laugh. "Ezra, you should know by now-" She trailed off as she started to fire back at the TIE fighter. She hit it dead on and when it exploded, Swifttail let out a breath of relief. He felt so helpless and this was certainly not how he wanted to feel. 

Once the flight became a bit smoother they all got up and Swifttail pressed against Adlerleaf, making sure that she was alright.

Hera turned her head as Ezra neared. "There isn't any Imperial Officer that can fly better than me," she boasted as she pointed to herself.

“What about Bluefeather," inquired Adlerleaf as she drew forward, her muzzle thrust close to Hera. Hera had been training Bluefeather around the clock and she had learned some important skills. However, Swifttail wasn't sure that she was as good as Hera, at least not yet.

Hera shrugged. “I said imperial officer," she corrected.

“When are you going to show me some of those moves," inquired Ezra as he leaned forward with curiosity and interest sparkling in his eyes.

Hera looked back with amusement glowing in her gaze. "I'm not sure if you're ready for this," she argued as she let go of the steering a bit. "Do you really think you're ready for this?"

Ezra nodded before Swifttail gaped and everyone else looked forward. His eyes stretched wide and he began to shake his head. "Not ready! Not ready!"

TIEs were coming on them again, and Swifttail took a step back in horror. He knew that it would do nothing, but anxiousness was making his mind fuzzy. "We're going to die. We're going to die!"

Hera looked back and rolled her eyes. "Have some faith, Swifttail. You trust my flying abilities, don't you," she asked in a voice that made Swifttail want to agree, but at the same time, TIEs were flying their way. Adlerleaf seemed just as daunted as he was and she pressed closer to him, their fur brushing.

They swerved and Swifttail fell into Adlerleaf, the strong she-cat keeping both of them on their paws. Embarrassment washed over him and he looked up to her with humiliation glittering in his usual bright blue eyes. "I'm so sorry," he rambled as he sat up as he gave his chest fur a few embarrassed licks, unable to look Adlerleaf in the eyes. 

“It's alright. It could have happened to me too," she meowed sympathetically. She stole another glance at Swifttail, but the bright eyed tom wasn’t looking in her direction.

“Hey, can you save the love for a different time," broke in Ezra fiercely. Now it was time for both of them to blush madly and take a step away from each other.

Hera banked hard. "Now Ezra, there's nothing wrong with them showing affection toward each other. Aren't you still trying to win over Sabine?"

Ezra played with his hair, wrapping it slightly around his finger while Swifttail gave a satisfied purr. Now it was time for Ezra to be humiliated. "That's a work in progress. And shouldn't we more be focused on not dying?!"

Hera turned back to the controls. “We'll be fine. Didn't I say I was the best pilot in the galaxy?"

“What did we take," wondered Sabine as she rested a hand on the back of Hera's chair for support and leverage. "I mean it seems like the whole Empire is following us on this raid!"

Swifttail drew back with his ear twitching. He knew what they had taken; at least part of what they had taken. There was an accident and his father was out of serum. He needed some desperately and Hera had managed to work out a deal with Fulcrum. He had told Hera where the serum was and also some other things that he wanted. It was a lot more dangerous than normal, but Halftail desperately needed the serum. Hera just didn't want to tell the younger ones what had happened. It was just easier that way.

“It's on a need to know basis," Hera explained and Swifttail let out a breath of relief. The less they knew about this mission the better.

Sabine crossed her arms over her chest and narrowed her eyes. "I need to know."

“Hang on," shouted Hera as the Phantom turned sideways. 

Once again, Adlerleaf and Swifttail stumbled sideways, but this time they were able to steady themselves against the side of the ship with Ezra and Sabine falling sideways as well. 

Swifttail saw a bright explosion and the Phantom righted itself. Swifttail heard Ezra say something about the steering, but he was focused on Adlerleaf, who had fallen on top of him. When she raised her head she groaned.

“Are you alright," whispered Swifttail in Adlerleaf's ear.

Adlerleaf realized what happened and she leaped back, embarrassment now showing in her eyes. "I'm so sorry. I didn't even realize."

“It's fine," assured Swifttail as he leaned forward a bit and touched his nose to hers. Once their noses touched, Adlerleaf leaped off of Swifttail. Swifttail rose to his paws and shook out his pelt.

Sabine looked over to them, her eyes lighting in mischief. "I'm sure that everyone will be glad to see us back in one piece, don't you think," she offered, distracting them from each other for a heartbeat.

Adlerleaf nodded vigorously. "Oh, I'm sure! That or they'll still still be sad that they have to share food with us," she joked and when she started forward, Swifttail couldn't look away.

Soon after that they docked aboard the Ghost and unloaded the supplies. Halftail greeted both Swifttail and Adlerleaf with a dip of his head. "How did everything go," he inquired as his fur stood a bit on end and Swifttail knew why. He was wondering if they had gotten his serum.

“It went well," interrupted Swifttail before Adlerleaf could say anything. "We got all the supplies and we were chased a bit by some TIEs, but it was nothing that we couldn't handle."

Halftail dipped his head in appreciation. "Good job. Now I think that Ezra might need your help, Swifttail," Halftail meowed as he looked to his son.

Swifttail smiled before he bounded over to help Ezra, Chopper, Zeb, and Keen with the repairs on the Phantom. A few of the TIE’s had managed to land some blasterfire on the smaller ship. 

Adlerleaf suddenly turned to look at Sabine from where the two had finished unloading the last crate into the belly of the Ghost. “Are you alright," pressed Adlerleaf as her ears stood up on her head.

Sabine looked away, her face falling. "What do you care?"

That was a bit harsh, even for Sabine, but Adlerleaf shrugged and headed back over to help Swifttail.

Halftail tried to ignore what he had just heard as he strode into the cockpit with Hera and Kanan following.

“I care because you're my friend and apart of my family. Besides, I see that you look sadder than the time I accidentally finished the last ration from Keen’s pile,” Adlerleaf pointed out as she lifted a paw and rubbed at the side of her muzzle. 

Now that made Sabine smile shyly. "I guess it's just Hera."

“Hera? What did Hera do," wondered Adlerleaf as she leaped onto the seat beside Sabine so that they could whisper without anyone listening. She knew that someone on the ship could probably hear them if they didn't.

Sabine looked away. "It's not what she did, it's what she didn't do," she confessed darkly.

Adlerleaf's eyes widened a bit. "Is this about Fulcrum? You're still dead set on knowing who this person is and what he's doing," she muttered in surprise. Sabine couldn't let anything go.

Sabine thrust her fist on the table in agitation. “Yes I am! I need to know who he is! I don't like taking blind orders. Don't you," she pressed.

Adlerleaf shrugged. "It doesn't bother me. However, I was in a pride and I took blind orders the time. It didn't bother me, but then again, I'm used to it."

“Adlerleaf!"

Birchfoot called her and she leaped from the seat before looking up to Sabine once more. "But, if you're so dead against it then why don't you talk to Kanan, Hera, or Halftail,” she suggested.

Sabine nodded to herself before she realized that it was actually a good idea. She rose to her feet and barged into the cockpit. Halftail was the first one to greet her. "Hi, Sabine! Is there something that I can do for you," he offered as he sat behind Kanan with bright eyes.

Sabine didn't even answer him. "I want to know why we are doing what we are doing. Who is this Fulcrum?!" Her voice rose and Halftail turned to look at Kanan anxiously. He was usually the diplomat.

Kanan turned and shrugged. "He's Hera's contact.”

“And you don't feel that you need to know anything about him," snapped Sabine with a few hand motions to go along with it.

Kanan and Halftail exchanged a glance before they both shook their heads. "If Hera trusts him, then so do I. Besides, it disrupts the Empire and puts food on the table and credits in our pockets. That's enough for me," Kanan explained as he strode forward with Halftail right behind.

Sabine looked down. "I was at the Academy and all I did was follow blind orders. That's why I left," she muttered under her breath tensely.

“And we're happy to have you, but Fulcrum is Hera's deal," pointed out Halftail as he looked up to her calmly. "We trust her and you should do. That's what family does."

Sabine crossed her arms. "What would you know about family?"

“Sabine," scolded Kanan as he saw his friend cringe.

Halftail raised a paw. "No, it's okay, Kanan," he assured as he gave his head a shake. "What do I know about family? Nothing apparently. I'll remember that."

He started forward with his half tail dragging behind him. Kanan followed and didn't even bother to say anything else to Sabine. Sabine wasn't finished though. "You're so annoying," she cried out to Kanan.

Kanan just shrugged. "So I've been told," he called back, raising a glass of some liquid.

Halftail pretended not to hear. He didn't want to have anything else to do with Sabine for a while. He just wanted for everyone to get along for once, but that certainly wasn't happening anytime soon. Someone was always fighting with someone or angry at someone for doing or not doing something. It was extremely complicated.

“I'm sorry about Sabine's attitude," apologized Kanan as he looked down to Halftail.

Halftail just shrugged. "It's no big deal. I've had a lot worse said to me. Thanks for trying to stick up for me," he meowed evenly, but inside he was burning. He was extending and drawing his claws inward in anger as he tried to calm himself down before he said or did something he may regret.

Kanan smiled. "It was nothing, but I hear that they did manage to get your serum."

Halftail spun on Kanan and hissed, his hackles rising. "Don't say that out loud," he scolded as he swiped a paw at the air. "Someone might hear."

Kanan was a bit taken back. "What's so bad about that?"

Halftail turned away, his tail kinking over his back. Sabine’s earlier comment combined with his embarrassment caused anger to boil to the surface. “It's bad enough I need it, let alone them risking their lives for it. I wanted to go, but that would be too suspicious. Swifttail going was the only option. But you have to promise me that you won't tell anyone. Please, Kanan."

Kanan stroked his beard thoughtfully before he nodded. "Okay, I suppose."

Halftail let out a breath of relief. "Thank you."

“Maybe we should meditate. I think that we both need to let out some much needed anger," Kanan suggested as he nodded his head toward Halftail.

Halftail actually thought that would be a good idea. Anything to help with the tightness in his chest or the stiffness of his muscles. He nodded and strode forward, hoping that the meditation would calm him down and clear his head.


	48. Visions of Pain

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Halftail sees what the future could hole for his crew.

Adlerleaf sat beside Bluefeather as she licked a paw and drew it over her ears. It wasn't long before Sabine thundered in, an angry but determined look on her face. "Adlerleaf!"

“Down here," she answered as she lifted her muzzle.

Sabine kneeled down with bright eyes. "We're going!"

“Going where," groaned Adlerleaf as she yawned to show her teeth. They had just went on a dangerous supply mission. She just wanted to sleep for a few moons.

Sabine rolled her eyes. "Hera is taking us to meet that Fulcrum. You were right! I got Hera to take you as well," she exclaimed in pleasure.

Adlerleaf didn't want to tell Sabine that she didn't want to go, so she dipped her head. "Great," she meowed as she forced a purr to roll in her throat.

Bluefeather chuckled as she rose to her paws and shook out her pelt, a few feathers falling on the ground. "Better you than me," she whispered in Adlerleaf's ear.

Adlerleaf let a growl roll in her throat as she glared at Bluefeather. She reluctantly watched her go before she forced a nod at Sabine. "Alright, when do we leave?"

“Now," answered Sabine as she turned and waltzed forward. Adlerleaf was less than excited, but she would back up Sabine no matter what she asked. She padded forward, wondering what would be next.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Halftail wasn't sure how long he had been meditating, but eventually he went into a almost sleep-like state with his head inclined forward and his shoulders slumped. 

When he opened his eyes he saw a snowy white and black splotched tom with worried blue eyes. At his paws was a black panther with gray hints in her fur. Her eyes were stretched wide in agony and her body convulsed. Blood had coated her fur so much that Halftail couldn't tell where it was coming from. 

“No. No. No!" The tom was wailing in grief as he stood over the she-cat. Despair lit in Halftail's eyes at hearing the tom’s cries.

The she-cat gingerly raised her head and touched her nose to the tom's nose. "Take care of our kits," she rasped in such a weak voice that Halftail barely heard her.

The tom shook his head madly. "You're going to be fine. Just hold on," he pleaded, but his voice seemed to crackle and break as he spoke.

The she-cat lowered her head a bit. "I love you," she cried before her head fell back on the ground and her breathing stopped. The blood no longer pulsed from her, just trickled from the corner of her mouth.

A cat stood behind the tom and Halftail realized it looked a lot like him. "Swifttail, I'm so sorry," sympathized the cat that Halftail realized was himself.

Halftail clambered backwards in shock as he saw his son bow his head and sob. He darted backwards, but he suddenly bumped into someone. 

He turned and gasped as he realized that Bine was right behind him. "What did I just see," he yowled in shock as his fur spiked in alarm.

Bine dipped her head, her eyes glowing and her whiskers nearly touching the ground. "I'm so sorry that you had to see that, my love," she breathed gently.

Halftail took a step back, his shoulders braced forward. "Why me?! I don't want to see this! I've seen this too much. Does this really happen or is this just something that StarBound is doing to haunt me?!" Terror made his voice tremble while anger made his whole body shake. 

Bine noticed her mate's discomfort and she took a step forward, her pelt pressing against his. He immediately relaxed as she began to lap at his fur gently. "It's going to be alright. It's going to be okay," whispered Bine in the way that she used to talk when she had still been alive. 

Halftail wasn't so sure. "Tell me, Bine, is this going to happen," he wondered as he tried to keep his voice even, yet emotion caused it to tremble. 

“I can't tell you anything that might change your future, you know that," she pointed out as she gently curled her tail around his and he allowed her. "All I can tell you is that there are a lot of cats up here who love you, but there are also a group of people down there that love you as well."

Halftail knew that she was talking about his crew. "I know, but I miss you," he argued with burning eyes as he looked at her. 

“But our son needs you, more than ever. He won't confess it because he wants to be strong, but he needs you," Bine told him with a steady voice, something that Halftail couldn't seem to do when he spoke to Bine now.

Halftail wasn't sure if that was true of not. Swifttail always seemed to be insecure, but he never wanted to come to his father. Halftail understood that to an extent, but he had always trusted Brist like a father. "What do you suggest I do to help him open up?"

Bine licked Halftail's cheek and he felt warmth spread through him. "Do something that you both enjoy doing. What about hunting? Show him what kind of cat he could be."

Halftail turned his head and touched his nose to Bine's cheek. "I wish you were with me. You would have raised him so much better than me."

Bine shook her head. "That is certainly not true. You did an amazing job! I couldn't have had a better mate or father for my son," she assured as she tipped her head.

Halftail didn't believe her as he turned his head away. "I miss you so much."

“I miss you too," she murmured as she took a step backwards. "But you must return. There is business that you must take care of."

“Business," echoed Halftail in surprise before the whole world went black around him.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

“Halftail!"

Halftail's eyes fluttered open and he turned his head over to Kanan. "W-What," he gasped in alarm.

He realized that Kanan had grasped ahold of his shoulder and was shaking him madly. "Halftail, you fell asleep," Kanan told him, frowning.

Embarrassment washed over Halftail. Halftail wanted to tell Kanan that he had a vision, but he just shook his head to clear it. "I'm sorry," he mumbled as he shook his head madly. "I didn't realize."

Kanan sat backwards. "You've never fallen asleep during meditation before. Are you having nightmares again?"

Halftail turned his head madly from side to side. "It doesn't matter. Besides I hear that we're going to have more trouble than just me."

Kanan was about to say something, but he then could the sounds of Ezra, Zeb, and Keen. The door opened and Halftail turned his head to see them, his ears twitching. "Kanan, Halftail," the three began, but Halftail lashed his tail while Kanan raised his hand to cut him off.

“Hera, Sabine, and Adlerleaf are in trouble," murmured Kanan as he opened his eyes. 

“Because of your work on the Phantom," added Halftail as he blinked his eyes slowly, to show how displeased he was. 

The three seemed surprised that they knew. "How did you know," inquired Keen as he stood on his tiptoes. 

“Did you feel it through it for the force," asked Ezra, excitement and wonder glowing in his eyes.

Halftail snorted in amusement while Kanan rolled his eyes. "No. We could hear you from the other side of the ship," snapped Kanan.

The three looked downhearted, but Halftail rose to his paws and strode forward as they made room for him to pass. "Well don't just stand there! Are we going to get them?!"

They darted madly forward, almost bumping into each other in the process. Once they regained their composure, they headed to the front and Kanan chuckled from behind them. 

“You sure know how to make them move," Kanan laughed as he strode forward and ruffled the fur between Halftail's ears affectionately.

Halftail couldn't help but purr. "Yeah, I have that special touch," he chuckled as he bounded forward, ready to step in and right this wrong.


	49. Saving The Day

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Fights don’t come easy. This one is no exception.

Halftail gritted his teeth in frustration as his paws trembled while he tried to hold the Ghost steady. Beside him, Kanan was attempting to steer and was having just as many problems as Halftail.

“What is going on here," inquired Bluefeather from behind Halftail.

Halftail chuckled. "We don't even know," he confessed as he swiveled in his seat, ready for Bluefeather to show Kanan what she could do. "Would you like to take over?"

Bluefeather smiled and she darted forward and nearly pulled Halftail from his seat. "Like you had to ask? Let me show you what I can do."

Halftail leaped from the seat and Blufeather took her position. "Give me forward controls," Bluefeather demanded as she looked over to Kanan.

Kanan looked over to Bluefeather and his eyebrows raised. "Why should I give you controls? I think that I have everything under control."

Bluefeather seemed a bit taken aback by Kanan’s comment, but Halftail was quick to take a step forward and dip his head in respect. “Just let her do it, Kanan. Bluefeather is being trained by Hera. Let her show you what she can do."

Kanan seemed reluctant to the idea, but he eventually nodded. He passed the controls to Bluefeather and she took them with strong paws. She banked harshly and Halftail nearly fell sideways. He shook his head to clear it before turning stiffly and padding from the cockpit, knowing that everything was good in Bluefeather's paws. 

He bounded down the hallway and saw Birchfoot limping toward him. "Have you seen Swifttail," he asked, fear showing in his eyes.

Halftail blinked in surprise. "No. I thought he was with you training all day," he meowed as he looked around, expecting to see Swifttail lurking somewhere in the shadows.

Birchfoot shook his head gravely. "He was, but when he heard that Adlerleaf was in trouble he left and I don't know where he went," he fretted.

Halftail stifled a sigh. "Don't worry, I'll find him," Halftail assured as he touched his nose to Birchfoot's ear. He then turned and bounded forward, thinking that Swifttail was probably in his father’s room. That was usually where he went when he wanted to be alone since he was the only one that dared go in there without an invite. 

He strode to his room and opened it using the force. There, he saw Swifttail sitting with his back toward the door. He didn't even dare look back, but Halftail kept walking forward. "Swifttail."

Swifttail turned sharply even thought he already knew it was his father. "I knew that it wouldn't take long before you found me. Did Birchfoot send you?"

Halftail sighed as he strolled toward Swifttail. "Yes, he did. He's worried about you," he confessed as he stopped beside his son and sat down heavily.

Swifttail opened his mouth a bit to reveal pointed teeth. "I doubt that he was really worried. Besides, I haven't been gone that long," he argued.

“Birchfoot cares for you, Swifttail. He hasn't had a lot of friends in his life and you're one of them. That's why he's so concerned," meowed Halftail with a nod of his head.

Swifttail's shoulders relaxed. "Well, I'm sorry. I just wanted to be alone and here is the only place that I could think of. I'm sorry if I worried him."

Halftail was surprised by his son's cold tone. "You're worried about Adlerleaf, aren't you?"

“Aren't you," Swifttail nearly wailed as he turned to face his father, his body tensed and fur bristling. 

Halftail blinked his eyes calmly. "Of course I am, but I have faith in her abilities, don't you," he pressed. 

Swifttail turned his head once again and hissed under his breath. "Didn't you ever worry about mother," he whispered darkly and softly.

Halftail tried to thrust his muzzle toward Swifttail, but he was deliberately looking away. "I worried about your mother all of the time. I just did't let it consume me. You have to learn to do the same."

Swifttail lashed his tail in frustration and it hit Halftail's chest. "Then what do you suggest I do?"

Halftail thought for a second before he leaped onto Swifttail's shoulders. He pushed him to the ground and Swifttail gasped in surprise. Once he came to terms on what was happening, he rolled sideways and he kicked his hind legs against Halftail's underbelly. He pushed him backwards and Halftail purred playfully.

Swifttail surged forward and he pushed his head against Halftail's chest. Halftail pushed back against his son before he sunk his teeth into his scruff and tossed him aside. Swifttail darted forward again, but Halftail was ready and easily sidestepped, causing Swifttail to miss cuffing him around the ear. Halftail then kicked a hind leg against Swifttail's ribs and knocked the air out of Swifttail's lungs. 

Swifttail crumpled to the ground, panting heavily, his eyes slitted in pain. He shook his head to clear it before he painfully raised his head. "Give me a heartbeat."

“What? Your old man beat ya," teased Halftail as he cuffed Swifttail's ear playfully, causing him to roll sideways. 

Swifttail rolled his eyes as he forced himself to shaky paws. "Yeah, something like that," he grumbled as he stretched and arched his back. 

Molis suddenly bounded into their room with his ears sticking up straight on his head. "We're here and I think they're going to need your help."

Halftail and Swifttail exchanged a glance before they darted forward and in the direction of the hanger. It was open and the cool air made Halftail's now grown back chest fur puff upward. His eyes widened as he saw strange creatures with large eyes and large ears looming in front of them. 

Halftail leaped onto the Phantom and lashed out with his claws and they sliced into the chest of a creature. The creature fell back with a yelp, but another creature would just replace them. He lashed out once more, but a creature sunk their teeth into his foreleg. He yowled as blood trickled out and felt them reach bone.

“Leave him alone," snarled Keen as he landed beside Halftail, barking and snarling at the creature.

One creature leaped in front of Keen. "Puppy," one of them hissed in a silky yet raspy tone at the same time. "Kill puppy."

Keen's eyes widened in alarm, but he didn't back down. He lunged forward and sunk his teeth into the creature's throat. Once he had nicked the life giving artery, he opened his mouth and the creature fell, slumped at his paws. Keen then ripped the the creature's teeth from Halftail's foreleg. Keen threw it backwards where it collided with another creature to send it backwards.

Halftail dipped his head thankfully at Keen before they lumbered toward the hanger door. Keen wailed in agony as a creature surged forward and sunk it's teeth into his tail, dragging him backwards. "Keen," cried Halftail as he turned and darted after him.

With blood still oozing from his foreleg, he thrust his claws against the creature's eyes. The creature waited in agony before it let go of Keen. Halftail pushed Keen in front of him and Keen whimpered. Halftail gasped when he realized he could see that more creatures advancing toward them.

“Keep coming," called Molis before he leaped down and picked up Keen by the scruff. He then leaped onto the hanger. Halftail leaped onto it and it began to close. He yelped in terror as another creature sunk their claws into his hind legs and pulled. Halftail gritted his teeth in pain.

Ezra darted forward and grasped Halftail's front legs before he pulled. Halftail landed on the ground in pain and he heard Ezra gag behind him. Halftail turned his head and he saw his hind legs were all torn up. "I've been through worse," he hissed as Ezra turned away so he wouldn't have to look at it.

Birchfoot darted forward and began to lap at Halftail's leg. "Swifttail! I need a paste," he yowled between licks and mouthfuls of pulsing blood. 

Swifttail touched his nose to Adlerleaf's cheek before he bounded up the ladder and retrieved the herbs that his mentor needed. He dropped them at Birchfoot's paws and Birchfoot chewed them into a paste before he spread it over Halftail's leg. Halftail wailed in pain and his body convulsed from under him.

Birchfoot hissed in frustration. “Lay still or it'll just make it worse," he spat before he moved to Halftail's foreleg. 

“You try keeping this still," reported Halftail hotly as Birchfoot made sure that there was no claws stuck in the wound. He found a few and he had to pull them from the foreleg. Halftail groaned, but he tried to keep himself as still as possible. He allowed Birchfoot to spread the paste and wrap it in bandages. 

Once he was finished he moved onto Keen. His tail wound wasn't as deep, but it still required attention. Birchfoot and Swifttail checked over everyone before sending them to their rooms with strict instruction to rest.

Halftail stumbled through the hanger. Birchfoot shot him a glare, but he first had to pick up his crate with his serum before he could rest. He struggled to figure out which one it was by the writing inscribed on the side of the crate, but once he found it, he used the force and carried it up the ladder. He then pushed his head against the crate to force it forward as exhaustion and pain overwhelmed him.

“Hey! What are you doing," Sabine suddenly snapped, causing Halftail to jump.

Halftail looked up and bit his lip. "Wolf-scat," he swore before he lashed his tail in frustration. "I'm just moving the crate." His hind legs and one foreleg burned. He just wanted to get the crate into his room and sleep for a moon. However, Sabine wasn't going to let that happen.

“That's not for you though, is it," argued Sabine as she crossed her arms.

Halftail set in jaw in frustration, knowing that Sabine wasn’t going to leave him alone until she saw what was inside. He growled as he reached over to open the top of the crate to show layers upon laters of needles filled with his serum. "Does this answer your question?"

Sabine’s eyes widened in understanding. "So that's what we stole?"

“Not all of it. Just this small crate," he replied as he dipped his head while he set the top back on to secure it.

Sabine thought for a heartbeat. "You mean Fulcrum knew that this serum was here," she murmured, half to herself.

Halftail nodded slowly. "That he did. Now, may I please get some rest," he asked hopefully, feeling that his hind legs were about to give out.

Sabine took a step back. "Y-Yeah, sure. Sorry I stopped you," she apologized.

Halftail murmured good-night before he pushed the crate into his and Kanan's room. He forced it into the corner, telling himself that he would go through it later. Right now he just needed to take his dose and then get some much needed sleep.

He grunted as he reached his paw through the small opening in the top and pulled out one of the syringes. He could see the yellow liquid almost glowing from inside. He flicked the top with his claw to see beads of fluid drip onto the ground. Once he was sure it was safe, he lowered his slightly shaking paw and forced it into his vein, injecting the liquid into himself.

Halftail tasted the almost metallic taste in his mouth. He grimaced once he finished and set the syringe aside, telling himself that he would remember to throw it out later. He applied pressure to his vein before limping forward and over to his and Kanan’s bed. He jumped onto it before his body gave out as exhaustion took over.


	50. Empire Day

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The yearly festive of Empire Day meets the ingenious plan of the Ghost Crew.

Halftail strode into Birchfoot's room and saw him speaking quietly with Swifttail, their heads bowed together. When Birchfoot saw Halftail, he nudged Swifttail's shoulder with his nose. Swifttail looked over to his father and his ear twitched. "Dad, what are you doing here?"

“I thought that you'd like to do some Jedi training? I already finished with Keen," he offered as his tail swished behind him.

Swifttail brightened as he dipped his head. "That would be great," he purred as he murmured farewell to Birchfoot. He then bounded after Halftail and Halftail led him out of the hanger door. They passed Ezra and Kanan, who were still practicing on the other side of the hanger.

“Where are we training," inquired Swifttail as he jumped along at Halftail's side.

Halftail thought for a heartbeat. "I was thinking in the tall grasses. It would probably be the best place to practice same force lifting." They had been grounded for a few days to do some much needed repairs and conserve fuel. It wasn’t often that they had the gift of space and Halftail wanted to take full advantage of it. It was also helpful to train in different terrains whenever possible.

Swifttail's eyes glowed as he darted out of the hanger and toward the tall grasses. He leaped high into the air before disappearing with only a fluttering of the tips of the grass in the wind to show where he had vanished. Halftail rumbled in amusement as he lumbered forward with his jaws parted to taste the. He suddenly shot out a paw and grasped his son's tail tightly with his claws. Swifttail gasped as he turned around, hissing as Halftail retreated.

“I hate to break this to you, Swifttail, but your pelt doesn't blend well with these grasses," confessed Halftail as he pointed his paw toward the muted browns and striped greens that blended with Halftail’s own pelt instead of his son’s. This was Halftail’s element. 

Swifttail rolled his eyes. "Well, it's a good thing that we're not practicing stalking," he muttered as he turned and puffed out his fur. "What am I lifting?”

Halftail looked around. "Let's start with something small," he murmured as he finally decided on a pebble a tail-length away from his paws. He placed it in front of himself and he began to lift it with his mind, his eyes closed in concentration. "You have to relax and focus only on yourself and whatever you're lifting. You tell the pebble where you want to go, not the other way around."

Swifttail dipped his head in understanding before Halftail let the pebble go. It bounced over to Swifttail's paws and he eyed it with hostility. After a couple heartbeats, the pebble started to a bit, but not as much as Halftail or Swifttail would have liked.

“You can't be angry with it," explained Halftail as he blinked his eyes slowly. "You have to be at ease and relaxed with the pebble. You've helped lift things before, but never done it yourself. You must focus.”

Swifttail grumbled a bit in frustration. "I know all of that, Dad. It's just harder than I thought to lift something by myself."

“This is one of the easiest things that I could teach you." Halftail strode over to Swifttail and eyed the pebble. "If you can't learn this then you're not right to be a Jedi."

“I can!" Pain lit in Swifttail's eyes. "I just have a lot on my mind right now. Can you at least show me how you learned to levitate things?"

Halftail nodded before he pressed against his son so that Swifttail could feel Halftail’s muscles tensing against his own. Together they formed a bond; something that Ezra and Kanan couldn't seem to do. Once their minds were bonded for the time being, Halftail bowed his head and focused on his pebble with his eyes closed. It began to lift slowly as he levitated it over Swifttail's head. It wasn't large enough to do any damage, but it certainly wouldn't feel good if dropped. "I'm going to drop this pebble and you're going to catch it, okay?"

Swifttail's eyes widened in alarm, nearly pulling away from Halftail. "I don't know if I'm ready-" Before he could finish, Halftail released it. Swifttail gaped as the pebble nearly bounced against his head. He caught it, but just barely. It levitated above his head and he let out a breath of relief when it didn’t strike him. 

Halftail strode forward, allowing the bond to be stretched a bit. "Not bad. Let's see how well you can do this with some distractions." He peered around before he picked up a large rock between his teeth. He threw it in Swifttail’s direction.

Swifttail ducked in surprise and the pebble fell on his head. He groaned in pain before he narrowed his eyes at his father. "I wasn't ready," he protested sharply, his fur standing on end.

Halftail snorted in amusement. "The Empire isn't going to ask you if you're ready, unless they're teasing," he scoffed as he picked up a smaller rock with his paw. "Now, levitate the pebble again and we'll try it again."

Swifttail sighed before he lifted the pebble again with his mind. Halftail readied and he threw a stone once again. This time Swifttail dodged it easily while still keeping the pebble hovering above his head. It bounced away and Halftail purred before he grasped another rock with his tail. He thrust it at the pebble. It collided with the pebble, but Swifttail still managed to keep it in the air. 

“Good job," praised Halftail warmly before Swifttail dropped the pebble on the ground and shook his head to clear it.

“It's a lot harder than I thought just to levitate something. It takes everything out of you," Swifttail confessed as he collapsed on his side.

Halftail gave a nod of understanding. "You're right. Anything that you're doing mentally can really take it out of you. That's why it's so hard. That means that you need to build your mental strength," he explained as he grasped another pebble between his teeth. "You can use this to practice with in the Ghost. If you’re in your room with Birchfoot you shouldn't be interrupted. We'll make you do it in the hanger with everyone yelling at you in a while for practice too.” He leaned forward and touched his nose to Swifttail’s shoulder. “You’ll get it, Swifttail, I know you will.”

Swifttail let out a growl before he followed his father back toward the Ghost slowly. However, before they could get far, a screech seemed to echo through the air as a few TIE fighters flew overhead. Halftail suddenly halted and so did Swifttail, both of them pressing themselves against the ground immediately. 

“What are they doing here," inquired Swifttail as his ear gave a twitch of anger. 

Halftail fluffed out his fur in hostility. "I'm not sure, but I do have a way to find out," he answered as he darted forward. Swifttail bounded after him without missing a heartbeat. They followed the scent of Ezra and Kanan, leading them in the direction of the TIEs. They seemed to have the same idea Halftail and Swifttail had. 

They followed the scent into a bar and Halftail saw that it seemed to be the whole crew was in the bar. He saw Swifttail walk over to Adlerleaf, his eyes glittering hopefully. Molis and Bluefeather were speaking quietly with their head bowed together and Halftail veered next to Kanan and Ezra, his fur prickling in alarm.

It wasn't long before some Stormtroopers came in after them. Halftail struggled not to growl, and to his surprise, the Troopers passed them and went to the front of the bar. "The Imperial radio signal is to be broadcasted at all times," ordered one of the soldiers as he pounded a fist against the counter.

“No one has requested it, ever," argued the bartender as he threw his hand aside.

The Stormtrooper wasn't taking that as an answer. "It's the law!"

The bartender reluctantly turned on the radio station and Halftail turned his head to the monitor, as well as everyone else. Everyone listened to the Imperial signal for a few heartbeats, but it wasn't long before it was suddenly switched to a rebel signal. It was sketchy at first, but Halftail managed to make it out.

"-Forfeit all Empire Day celebrations immediately," the man on the screen seemed to demand. Halftail longed to yowl out his approval, but he kept his cool and just tipped his head to the side curiously. 

The Troopers seemed as shocked as everyone else. "Turn it off," one demanded, but it was shaky and Halftail could sense it. 

The bartender shook his head slowly. "But it's the law," he argued bleakly.

One Trooper huffed before he turned and the two strode from the bar. Once they left, Halftail strode over to Swifttail and Adlerleaf. "Do you know what this means," hissed Halftail under his breath.

Adlerleaf's eyes glowed in excitement. "I know that it means that we're certainly not the only rebels out there who are acting today. Perhaps things might be different this Empire Day."

Swifttail twitched his tail tip. "Do you think our parade raid will be worth it?" His voice seemed to quiver in uncertainty. 

“Parade raid," echoed Birchfoot as he limped forward, his whiskers twitching in amusement. "Is that what we're calling it now?"

Swifttail puffed out his chest in pride, his claws working against the ground. “It's the name that I came up with. Do you like it," he inquired as he jabbed a paw at Birchfoot's ribs.

Birchfoot shrugged. "It's alright. I'm sure that I could have come up with a better name, but it's pretty good," he purred as he licked Swifttail behind the ear.

Halftail was pleased at how close the team had become. They teased and taunted like a family, but there was always love and affection behind everything. He was sure that the reason this Empire Day would be the best was because they would be the ones to upset it and they always looked after each other.

Keen suddenly strode up and he shook his head. "Ezra isn't coming with us," he whimpered as he shook his head gravely. 

“What do you mean," asked Adlerleaf as her voice rose in confusion. "He has to come. This is going to be our biggest attack on the Empire yet!"

Birchfoot dipped his head to his sister. "If Ezra doesn't want to go we can't force him. Besides, we need those with their head in the game. We can't be watching after someone who's mind is elsewhere."

Halftail had to admit that he agreed with Birchfoot. "Birchfoot is right. Don't worry, Keen. When he feels up to an attack he'll tell you."

Keen didn't seem to excited, but he gave a small nod. "Alright."

“Come on," called Kanan as he swung his hand to motion them to follow him. "Let's get back to the Ghost. You know what you have to do."

Halftail rose to his paws before he sprang forward with Swifttail, Adlerleaf, Birchfoot, Bluefeather, Molis, and Keen behind him. They mewed and barked as they playfully pushed into each other on their way to the Ghost. They could have a little fun on Empire Day; after all, it was a day for celebration.

Halftail leaped as he pushed his head against Keen's shoulder. Keen yowled in glee before he leaped onto Halftail's back, pushing him onto the ground. Once he sprang from his shoulder, Halftail darted back to his paws. He stopped right in front of Birchfoot. Birchfoot collided with Halftail's haunch and the two went tumbling over each other.

“I'll get you for that, Halftail," hissed Birchfoot as he clawed at Halftail's ear in an attempt to look fierce, but it barely grazed him. He knew that Birchfoot was doing it lightly so he wouldn't break the skin. 

Once Halftail pushed Birchfoot off of him, the two were way behind the group. They just strode back toward the Ghost, occasionally pushing each other playfully. When they broke in, they composed themselves a bit and strode over to the rest of the group. 

“So what's the plan," asked Adlerleaf as she turned her muzzle upward to Kanan.

Kanan looked to everyone, but pointed his question toward Adlerleaf. "Our goal is to cause as much chaos as possible," he explained. 

“Will there be a lot of people there," inquired Birchfoot as his whiskers twitched in apprehension. 

Halftail turned to him with surprise lighting in his eyes. "You're coming," he meowed, trying not to discourage Birchfoot, but he was surprised that he wanted to come.

Birchfoot let out a snort. "I'll take Ezra's place. Besides, I can't wait to strike some fear into the Empire's heart," he yowled gleefully.

Halftail chuckled before he dipped his head. "I would love to have you come. Stick close to Swifttail and I and we'll keep you safe," he assured as Swifttail gave a small nod of agreement. 

Adlerleaf, Keen, and Molis decided to stick with Zeb and Sabine while Halftail and his group went with Kanan. Once they had a plan they set out, ready to seriously disrupt Empire Day.


	51. Childhood

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Empire Day raid doesn’t go completely to plan, but the day is not a complete loss.

Halftail darted forward, remembering that Birchfoot was behind him and couldn't keep up as well. Swifttail managed to keep up with Kanan and it wasn't long before they made it to what Halftail thought was a parade. He had never been to a parade before, especially one like this.

“Are you going to make it," inquired Halftail as he stopped a bit and allowed Birchfoot to catch up. 

Birchfoot panted madly as he clambered up beside Halftail. "Don't worry about me," assured Birchfoot as he shook his head to clear it. "I'll make it there. It would be rude not to join in with the festivities."

Halftail’s whiskers twitched in amusement. They kept forward in an attempt to make good time, but eventually Birchfoot had to lean against him. Still, they made it to the parade in good time. Birchfoot's eyes widened in shock as he saw all the Imperial officers and ships lined up.

“Don't worry," purred Halftail as he touched his nose to Birchfoot's ear. "I looks less intimidating up close. It's just like the Ghost, sort of."

Birchfoot nodded as Halftail tiptoed forward with Birchfoot following. They strode after Kanan behind enemy lines. However, no one was paying attention to them since they were looking for what appeared to be a Rodian. 

Birchfoot slowed a bit, but Halftail shoved him harshly in the haunch. "Don't stop now!"

Birchfoot grunted as he continued forward, colliding with Kanan's calf. He fell backwards and he shook his head to clear it, half of his whiskers pressed against his face. He suddenly jumped as fireworks exploded in the sky.

“What's that," he gasped as his eyes widened. 

Swifttail jumped forward and landed beside Birchfoot gingerly. "This is our cue," he answered as Kanan tossed him a grenade. He caught it between his jaws gingerly and crept forward, his underbelly nearly grazing the ground. 

Kanan tossed another one to Halftail. He caught it in his jaws as well and he darted forward, his tail tip lashing. He strode over to a TIE and thrust it against it. It attached to it easily and Halftail purred as he rushed. He darted over to Kanan with Swifttail right behind him. 

“What are you doing back here," snapped a Stormtrooper and Halftail couldn't help but freeze. He noticed Birchfoot’s eyes widened as he froze in alarm. Halftail frowned as he ran his tail along his spine in an attempt to keep him calm.

Everyone looked at each other before Kanan stepped forward. "Isn't it beautiful! All of the pretty lights up in the sky. It reminds me of a rainbow," Kanan gasped and for a heartbeat Halftail had no idea what he was getting at. He then remembered what they had learned when they were Padawans. When it came down to it act dumb. 

“This is just the best day ever! I can't believe that it's finally here! I waited 364 days for this moment," breathed Halftail as he swayed a bit on his paws, acting a bit intoxicated. 

Swifttail purred in agreements, his eyes glittering in excitement. Birchfoot was still was frozen in fear. Halftail kicked Birchfoot slightly and Birchfoot tried to snap out of his fearfully trance, but his voice came out gravely and fearful. "The Empire is so cool. Yeah....Empire."

Now that certainly didn't convince the Stormtrooper. He was about to say something, but before he could, Ezra darted forward. "Dad, what are you doing here?"

“Dad," echoed Swifttail as he tilted his head in confusion.

Ezra stepped in front of the Stormtrooper and raised his hand. "Sorry mister my Dad is just really patriotic."

Kanan threw a fist into the air. "Empire Day! All hail our glorious Empire!"

The Stormtrooper muttered under his breath with Halftail unable to make it out. "Alright, move along."

Kanan and Ezra strode forward with the cats following. "That was almost too close," sighed Birchfoot as his chest heaved in nervousness.

“Yeah, but we're good now," pointed out Halftail as he threw his head to the side a bit. "And I'm almost ready to see even more fireworks." 

Birchfoot shook his head. "Is this what you guys do every time you go out?"

Swifttail chuckled as he darted to Birchfoot's side, rubbing his cheek against his. "Hardly. This is a special occasion. It's Empire Day!"

As he spoke, the grenades went off and fireworks exploded in the opposite direction. Ships fell over and Halftail turned his head to watch. People screamed and scattered madly.

Halftail saw Adlerleaf approaching with Sabine, Keen, Molis, and Zeb. "Did you see that," exclaimed Keen with bright eyes. "That was incredible."

Halftail purred as he cuffed Keen's ear gently. "You're right. Now that was all us," he meowed.

“Get them," cried an officer as the rebels turned to look in shock.

Halftail's muscles tensed under his rippling before he propelled himself forward. "Time to go," he announced as he surged forward with the rest of the crew following. Kanan took the lead with Ezra at his side. Their legs furiously pounded the ground with their arms pumping in an effort to keep their pace. Halftail heard a cry from behind him and he turned to see that Birchfoot had fallen and he couldn't get up. His hind leg flailed painfully as he tried to haul himself to his paws only to have them give out once more.

Halftail let out a yelp of alarm, and to his relief Molis turned and picked up Birchfoot by the scruff. He darted forward with Halftail relaxing slightly when he knew that the lame healer was taken care of. He wasn't sure how long he had been running when they came to a massive wall. Halftail couldn't hear anyone following them, but he knew better than to completely drop his guard. 

Molis set down Birchfoot, who looked worn and tired beyond belief. "We can't keep going like this," Molis whispered in Halftail's ear worryingly. 

Halftail saw Adlerleaf walk over to her brother and lick him between the ears comfortingly. "You're right. He can't continue." He bounded over to Kanan. "Birchfoot is exhausted. Running wasn't the plan. We were supposed to be back at the Ghost by now."

Kanan nodded and stroked his beard thoughtfully. “You're right. Zeb, I think that you and Molis should go back to the Ghost with Birchfoot. We'll need you later."

Zeb looked like he wanted to argue, but when he looked at the exhausted Birchfoot, he reluctantly nodded. "Alright, Kanan." He contacted Hera before he turned to look at Molis. "Come on Molis, let's get Birchfoot back to the Ghost."

Molis didn't argue as he hauled himself to his paws. He turned his head and picked up Birchfoot gingerly. Birchfoot whimpered in pain before letting his body go completely limp in Molis’s grasp. Zeb and Molis quickly scaled the wall, but Halftail worried about where they should be going. They couldn't leave yet.

“Where should we go," wondered Swifttail as he looked upward at his father, his eyes round hopefully.

Halftail turned to look at Kanan. Kanan was about to say something, but Ezra answered. "Follow me," he ordered as he pushed forward to lead.

Halftail and Swifttail twitched their ears, but once Kanan and Sabine started forward, they followed. Keen and Alderleaf brought up the rear. "Do you know where we're going," whispered Adlerleaf to Keen softly with Halftail pricking his ears to listen.

Keen didn't say anything as he shrugged. Halftail knew that he probably knew something was going on, but he didn't want to say anything. He just kept forward with the rest of the group following. They suddenly stopped at a place that appeared to be boarded up. 

“What is this place," inquired Sabine as she looked at the house in distain.

Ezra didn't answer as he walked forward slowly. He took out a key and slid it through the lock. The door opened with a loud creak with Ezra stepping forward. Everyone else followed slowly. Halftail's eyes had to adjust to the lack of light as shadows appeared at the corner of his vision. He was surprised at how run down this house was, but he surmised that it probably that way because no one had been there in a while to maintain it. 

“It looked a lot better a long time ago," reported Keen as he strode forward and leaped onto what had once been a couch. He bounced a bit on it before he lowered down and pushed his spine against it, his wings spreading behind him.

Adlerleaf strode forward before she tilted her head in surprise. "What do you mean?"

Keen turned his head to her as he rose to his paws. "N-Nothing."

“Don't lie," scolded Halftail as he shook his head sternly. “This was your childhood home, isn't it?"

Keen looked a bit off guard, but before he could say anything, Ezra came over and looked at Keen. "Our home was the streets. This was just where we were born," he corrected as he waved a hand at Keen dismissively. Keen leaped from the couch and he pressed against Ezra's leg in an effort to comfort him.

Swifttail suddenly pricked his ears. "Did you hear that," he inquired as he looked around madly as he lowered into a crouch. He lifted one paw from the ground before he placed it back down. "It's coming from under us."

Ezra strode forward and opened something that looked to be a manhole cover. He glanced down and Halftail heard rambling. It wasn't long before a fearful looking Rodian came up with something weird on his head. He seemed to be disoriented and clumsy with wide, unfocused eyes. 

“Zebo," exclaimed Keen as he darted over to the Rodian. He reared on his hind legs, begging for a scratch, but Zebo certainly wasn't in the right mind set. He didn't even brush Keen off of him. He started rambling again before he walked away without another look at Keen. “Zebo?”

Swifttail bounded over to Keen. "Who is this Zebo," he wondered as he looked up at the Rodian, his eyes narrowed. His eyes lit in distrust and Halftail couldn't blame him.

Keen sighed as he looked at his paws. "He was a friend to my parents a long time ago. However, times change. He was never like this."

Adlerleaf reared on her legs as she tried to get a closer look at the thing on Zebo's head. "I think that it has something to do with the thing on his head," suggested Adlerleaf as she tapped a claw against it.

Zebo turned and Adlerleaf fell on her haunches, shaking her head madly. She growled harshly before she pushed to her paws. She was about to speak to Keen, but when she looked around, Keen was gone and so was Ezra. "Where did they go?"

“They just needed some time," answered Kanan. His voice was tight and his eyes flickering in alarm, showing that he certainly didn't seem to believe what he was saying. Halftail nodded in agreement as he walked over to Kanan slowly. “Keen at least speaks to you a bit, but Ezra is so guarded."

Halftail didn't think that Keen talked to him a lot, but he talked more than Ezra ever did to Kanan. Although, he didn't need to make Kanan feel worse. "I'm sure that he'll talk when he's ready. That just takes time." He turned his head and grimaced a bit as Swifttail intertwined his tail with Adlerleaf’s as they spoke quietly to each other. The fur along his spine stood on end. "Everything takes time."

He shook his head, trying not to seem hostile. The vision still haunted him and he feared that nothing would ever change it.


	52. Empire Day Is Over, For Good

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> When an old friends makes escape difficult, it’s up the Ghost crew to figure it out on their own.

It wasn't long before Ezra and Keen came up from the manhole with Sabine following. "I found something," Sabine announced as she came over and tapped something on the machine attached to Zebo.

Bright images flashed in front of them. Halftail's mind whirled as they changed quickly in front of his line of vision. It was encrypted and he couldn't make out any of it. To his relief, Swifttail asked the question that he was too afraid to.

“What is it," asked Swifttail as he tried to make out the encryption as well through narrowed eyes. However, he seemed just as confused, or even more confused than Halftail.

Sabine smiled. "It's the Empire's five year plan on Lothal! That's probably why they want Zebo," she told them with reservation in her voice.

Halftail let out a sigh at the thought. "I don't even want to know what would happen if they got ahold of it or him. He must have ran when he figured out what he had."

Ezra didn't seem as convinced. "Well, we can't keep him here," pointed out Kanan before Zebo ran into a wall and fell backwards. "Quickly."

“How are we going to do that," inquired Adlerleaf as she looked at Zebo and rolled her eyes. "Empire Day is almost over and he's not exactly quiet."

Halftail thought about what they should do as he worked his claws against the peaty ground. "We'll just need to fight our way out," he answered curtly. 

Kanan and Sabine nodded while Adlerleaf and Swifttail puffed out their fur in determination. Ezra and Keen didn't seem as excited, but it didn't look they were going to argue. Once they decided on a plan, Sabine and Adlerleaf strode from the building. Once they took down a few Stormtroopers that littered their path, the rest of the group followed swiftly.

Halftail saw a Stormtrooper point his blaster at Swifttail and he surged forward on pure instinct. He sunk his teeth into the Stormtrooper’s leg and pulled harshly. He fell on his back as Halftail lashed out a firm paw against his head, knocking him out while his paw throbbed in agony. The Stormtrooper lay ominously still before Halftail heard Kanan yell for him.

Halftail turned swiftly before he darted toward him and stumbled into a transport. It closed right behind him as he shook his head as Zebo pushed against him. He slid closer to Swifttail before he started to move and shift. He strode over to a window and reared on his hind legs to peer out the cracked surface. "Do we have a plan for once we get this?"

Kanan looked back. "No, but I'm sure that if we keep going forward we'll-"

“Head right into the Empire," broke in Adlerleaf as she pointed her claw toward large AT Walkers and other transports that tore up the surface of Lothal in front of them.

Kanan looked blank for a second before he composed himself. "Y-Yeah that is exactly the plan," he lied and Halftail couldn't help but roll his eyes. He held his tongue fiercely, but before he could make it far, Zebo grasped Halftail's shoulders and lifted him up. "Put me down!"

“Zebo thinks that Keeneyes was killed along with his parents. Keeneyes had Sparn and Bluebird to look after him, but now he is alive," Zebo rambled with wide, unblinking eyes. Halftail furiously tried to spin in his grip with his hind legs painfully churning against Zebo’s arm. He didn’t want to harm him, but he certainly didn’t want to be dangled over the ground either. 

Halftail turned his head stiffly and looked over to Ezra. "A little help," he hissed as he extended his claws. His tail tip twitched irritably as he thought about where he could lash out at Zebo to release him. 

Ezra came over and tried to pry Zebo's hands off of Halftail. "Let Halftail go," grunted Ezra as he tried desperately to have Zebo release Halftail. 

Once Zebo finally pulled his fingers from Halftail’s fur, dropping the puma to the ground, Zebo turned to look at Halftail. "Halftail. Halftail. I have no Halftail in my extensive database," Zebo announced confusingly. 

Halftail turned and was about to walk away, but Keen wasn't going to let him off easy. "Why doesn't Zebo know who you are. He knows everyone."

Halftail wasn't ready to talk about this. "I don't know, kid. Now get ready."

Before Keen could question it, blaster fire shook the transport. Swifttail stumbled into Halftail urgently while Adlerleaf fell into the wall with Keen hunkering beside her desperately. "Could you keep it in the middle of the road," complained Swifttail as he pushed off of Halftail. 

Kanan turned. "Do you want to drive?!"

Sabine grabbed Kanan's shoulder and turned him back to face the road. "Eyes on the road or no one will be driving," she snapped as they continued to fire at the Empire's ships as they passed.

Halftail managed to rush to his paws as he tried to look at where they were going. "Are we going to slow down or what," he asked, his voice shaking.

Kanan grasped the controls tightly. "You've never had any faith in me," chuckled Kanan as he picked up the pace and continued firing at anything that crossed his path.

“Wolf-scat," swore Halftail as he lowered down, not wanting to feel what was coming. Swifttail crept forward before they exploded into another transporter.

Keen staggered forward with hazy eyes and ruffled fur. "That was amazing," he gasped as his whiskers lifted a bit on his face. "Let's do it again!"

Halftail grumbled as he slid over to Keen and licked the fur on top of his head flat like Bluefeather usually did. "We're not out of the Empire's grasp yet,” he chided. He could hear and feel them coming closer. It made his pelt prickle in unease until he heard the sound of the Ghost above them.

“Time to go," Sabine exclaimed as she climbed to the top of the transport with her two pistols ready for action. 

Halftail pricked his ears before he leaped behind her. When his head cleared the top he saw a Stormtrooper waiting for him. He ducked back down quickly, but they were already ready and began firing at his paws. He sprang upward and collided his head against the Stormtrooper's chest. The Stormtrooper fell sideways before Halftail wiped some blood from his nose from the impact.

“Come on, Dad," called Swifttail as he leaped onto the hanger door of the Ghost. 

Halftail sniffed as more blood dripped from his nose on the transporter. He darted in the direction of the Ghost and leaped on it, slipping as his paws made impact. 

Bluefeather surged forward with Molis at her side. They sunk their teeth into Halftail’s shoulders to pull him forward. Panting, Halftail rose to his paws with his head dipping in appreciation. 

“I hear that Zebo is here. Is that true,” Bluefeather questioned hopefully once Halftail had regained his composure.

Halftail shook his head as more blood droplets fell. He was starting to feel dizzy and his eyes wouldn’t focus. “Make sure Keen gets up," he choked out as blood began to pool moor from his nose and mouth. 

Bluefeather darted away from Halftail, albeit reluctantly, and rushed to the edge of the hanger as the Ghost began to veer off the intended path. Zebo, Ezra, and Sabine darted in with Keen right behind. As the Ghost pulled away, Kanan leaped onto the hanger door and collapsed, deactivating his lightsaber. He had a blaster mark on his calf, but he didn’t appear to notice.

Birchfoot limped in, a little more energized than before. "Let me see any wounds," he yowled as the hanger door closed.

Zebo suddenly stepped in front of Birchfoot and started rambling once more. Birchfoot hissed in annoyance before he ducked around Zebo and darted over to Kanan. Kanan was about to rise to his feet, but Birchfoot pushed him back down with a harsh paw to the chest. "You're not moving on my watch," he snapped as he began to assess the wound. "Luckily for you it isn’t deep. Just a graze. You should heal up nicely, but just in case-" He turned and began to chew some herbs before he allowed the juice to trickle into Kanan's leg.

Kanan grimaced in pain and twitched his leg in pain before Birchfoot drew back and dipped his head. "Thank you," grunted Kanan as he staggered to his feet and limped forward to see Hera.

Birchfoot then turned to Halftail. "You look better," Halftail remarked as Birchfoot pressed an ear against his chest to check his breathing.

“I feel better," commented Birchfoot before he looked inside Halftail's nose as he tilted his head backwards. He peered inside both of his ears and mouth as well. "I think it's just a trauma wound. It should heal nicely, but you should rest for the next couple of days. Knocking your face against something is just going to make it start bleeding again. We certainly don’t need that.”

Halftail knew better than to argue. "Okay," he panted as he rested his head on his paws, closing his eyes tiredly. "I suppose that I earned a cat nap."

Suddenly, Zebo stumbled onto Halftail's tail. Halftail hissed and drew his half tail backwards, yelping in pain. "Zebo thinks that-" He suddenly stopped as he began mumbling in Rodian language that no one seemed to understand.

“What's he saying," wondered Ezra as Keen leaped beside him, clearly wondering the same thing.

Sabine's eyes went blank before she looked to the both of them. "He says that he knows what happened to both of your parents."


	53. Leaving The Ghost

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Zebo’s presence makes it dangerous for the rest of the Ghost crew. Sometimes splitting up is the best way to keep their crew safe.

Keen's eyes widened as he reared on his hind legs and pushed against Zebo frighteningly. “What happened to them? Where did they go," he gasped before the ship was hit with a blast.

Everyone fell sideways and quickly darted to their numerous stations to get ready for an oncoming attack. Halftail climbed up the stairs after Kanan swiftly while Kanan turned to face Halftail. "I can handle this. You better make sure that Ezra and Keen don't do something that they'll end up regretting."

Halftail dipped his head albeit reluctantly. "Alright, I'll try," he meowed as he traveled down the ladder and bounded over to where Ezra was shaking Zebo madly. 

“Are my parents dead," shouted Ezra in Zebo's face.

Halftail darted forward and pushed Keen back, who was snarling at Zebo. He then grasped Ezra's ankle in his teeth and hauled him backwards before he could strike at Zebo again. "Leave him alone," he hissed as his hackles rose. "This is not the way to get answers."

Ezra took a step back and stomped forward. Halftail was a bit nervous at what he would do. He came back to Zebo and kept yelling. "Are my parents dead?!"

Zebo started to ramble incoherently with his wide eyes turned upward. Keen started to dart forward, but Halftail darted in front of him. "You don't need to do this," Halftail growled at Keen. Keen's eyes widened in surprise before they glowed in anger.

“My parents are dead as well as Ezra's and it could be his fault," spat Keen as he shook his head madly as saliva dripped from his jaws. "He's just too out of it to admit it!”

Halftail pushed his head against Keen's chest to force him backwards. "He couldn't have stopped what came. Bluefeather is sure of it."

Keen hung his head in shame. "Even Bluefeather isn't sure what happened to my parents," he cried out as he thrust his muzzle toward Halftail's. 

Halftail saw the painful look that glowed in Keen's eyes. "I'm sorry about what happened, but you must let it go or you will never be able to move on."

Keen opened his mouth to say something, but before he could, Hera's voice ring through the Ghost. "Ezra, Keen, I need you in the cockpit," she called.

Keen and Ezra thought about not going as they glanced to Zebo. Halftail leaped on the couch next to Zebo, his fur brushing out. "Go. It's not polite to keep a lady waiting," he reminded them with an angered flick of his tail.

Ezra stormed off with Keen following. His ears were plastered against his head with a angry look played on his face. Halftail just looked away, wishing that he could make it better for them, but knowing that he couldn't. He turned his head toward Zebo. "Couldn't you tell them something that would at least make them feel better?"

Zebo turned to him while his implant around his head began to beep. He began to speak in Rodian and Halftail had no idea what he was saying. After a while of his rambling, Halftail rolled his eyes.

“Speak English," snapped Halftail before Zebo stumbled toward the cockpit as if he had too much to drink. He leaped after him and shook his head. "Hey! I'm not finished with you!"

He stumbled into the cockpit after Zebo and titled his head in confusion as he lowered down by the control panel.

“What is he doing," asked Hera in surprise.

Bluefeather looked over Zebo's shoulder. "I just hope that he has some idea how to get out of this." She pointed a wing to the Imperial fleet in front of them. Halftail nearly fainted at the sight.

They suddenly jumped to hyperspace, right between the fleet that had stretched vastly in front of them. Keen fell into Halftail with the broad shouldered puma forcing Keen upright. 

“Did Zebo do that," asked Hera in utter shock, yet relief.

Halftail blinked his eyes. "I believe so, but I wouldn't suggest asking him about it. He's not all there if you know what I mean,” he confessed as he kinked his tail over his back and strode toward the middle area where he had come.

Zebo followed, pushing Halftail’s haunch. He surged forward and nearly collided with Swifttail. "What, don't like Zebo," teased Swifttail, his eyes glowing in mischief. 

Halftail snorted in amusement. "I would like him a lot better if he stopped stepping on me," he reported as he looked up at the spaced out Zebo. 

Birchfoot curled his tail around his paws. "If he steps on me he'll end up regretting it," he hissed with hostility glittering in his gaze.

Halftail shook his head a bit before Kanan, Zeb, Adlerleaf, Sabine, Hera, Molis, and Bluefeather came into the room with Zebo. Keen and Ezra brought up the rear since they didn't want anything to do with Zebo at the moment.

“How did he save us," asked Adlerleaf in Swifttail's ear. 

Halftail lifted a paw and pointed his claw at the implant around Zebo’s head. "It’s filled with all kind of Imperial secrets in there and he's smart just to begin with."

Kanan assessed the implant with scrutiny in his eyes before he turned to Ezra and Keen. "There are numerous ways for us to get this off of him and the information out. Which way do you two prefer?"

Keen just sniffed while Ezra placed on a helmet. "I couldn't care less."

Kanan shook his head gravely while Halftail frowned at Keen. "You need to start being honest with yourselves or you'll never be a Jedi," Kanan told both of them, although it didn’t appear that they were listening.

Ezra stood up with Keen at his side. Kanan took off Ezra's helmet and frowned. "You can act like you don't care about him, but you do."

Keen snapped his jaws threateningly. "We don't care about him at all!”

“Don't lie," scolded Bluefeather as she strode over to Zebo. "I haven't seen you in so long. There's so many things that I've wanted to say to you."

Birchfoot took a hop forward. "I have a strange feeling in my twisted leg," he confessed as he looked at his limp leg. "Are you sure that there's no one watching us."

Adlerleaf strode up to her brother and licked his cheek comfortingly. "Of course no one is watching us! They can't track us in hyperspace," she snorted in amusement, but when no one joined in, she looked around worryingly. "Right?"

An image suddenly flashed in front of Zebo and he began explaining how the Empire could track in hyperspace. Halftail grumbled under his chest fur. Why couldn’t anything ever work out in their favor. “I guess that answers that question."

“We have to find where it is and remove it before the Empire finds us," barked Molis as he wagged his tail powerfully.

Hera smiled as she waved a hand. "Let's head to the cockpit and figure out where this tracker is," she suggested as she led them all into the cockpit, some taking seats and others just standing where they could find room.

A holograph came up of the ship and where the tracker was. "I can get it," offered Keen as he spread his wings. "I can fly and take it off!"

“And then they'll be tracking you," pointed out Adlerleaf as she pointed a paw against Keen's chest before pushing him back.

Keen hung his head bashfully. "Oh, right."

“Well, we have to put it somewhere," argued Halftail as he lashed his tail in frustration. 

Kanan stroked his chin thoughtfully. "And we will. We'll place it in the astroid belt, at the old clone base."

Swifttail and Halftail exchanged a glance. "The old clone base is dangerous. Very dangerous," meowed Halftail as he narrowed his eyes at Kanan. "Are you sure that this is a good idea, Kanan?”

“What choice do we have, Halftail? It can be dangerous. but as long as there are Jedi on here, the Inquisitor can sense us. We have to hide out there for at least a little while while Zebo is here with us," Kanan explained as he looked to Ezra, Halftail, Keen, and Swifttail.

“I don't want to do anything because of Zebo," grumbled Keen under his breath.

Bluefeather's eyes widened. "And why not? Zebo has done wonderful things for you, even if you don't remember," Bluefeather scolded.

Keen just shook his head, not saying anything for a moment. Ezra crossed his arms over his chest defiantly and shook his head. "I don't want to do anything because of Zebo either."

“You two can act like you don't care about him, but I know that you do," argued Kanan with a frown. 

Keen curled his lip before he stormed out, his tail streaming behind him. Bluefeather was about to go after him, but Ezra beat her to it. Halftail stepped in front of Bluefeather and looked up to her. "Give him some space. I think that he needs it."

Bluefeather looked like she wanted to argue, but before she could, Kanan came over to kneel beside Halftail. "I'm going to go and check the Phantom. Be ready soon."

Halftail dipped his head before he nodded to Swifttail, making sure that he had heard Kanan. Halftail was about to pad out of the cockpit since it was getting rather cramped, but Bluefeather stomped on his tail to stop him. "Make sure that nothing happens to Keen,” she begged, her eyes round.

Halftail sighed heavily. "I won't always be there to protect him and neither will you," he pointed out gruffly. With that he strode from the room, his chest heaving with the painful quest he knew that he and the others would have to take.

“Halftail!"

Halftail turned his head and realized it was Birchfoot. He limped after Halftail and looked at him with twitching whiskers. "Halftail."

“Yes, Birchfoot. Is something wrong," asked Halftail as he licked a paw and drew it through his whiskers in a quick grooming ritual. 

Birchfoot grunted as he shifted. "Should Adlerleaf and I remain here? We have force sensitivity."

Halftail bit his lip. "I know, but someone has to be here to protect Zebo," he pointed out as he rested his tail across Birchfoot's shoulders. "That's going to be your job."

Birchfoot pulled away. "You know I'm no help when fighting," he hissed as his hackles rose in anger. Halftail drew back kept his distance from the spitting tom. “All I do is make this crew swallow herbs and patch their wounds when they need it. I'm not a really big help like you or Swifttail. He's a healer and training to be a Jedi."

Halftail's eyes softened as he touched his nose to Birchfoot's cheek. "You are important here, especially to Adlerleaf and everyone else. You hold everyone else together and keep the from killing one another. You know, I love him, but sometimes I could just tackle Swiftail." Birchfoot purred at that. "Just stay and make sure that Zebo doesn't get into trouble and that his implant doesn't go off or something."

Birchfoot reluctantly nodded. "Okay, Halftail, for you."

Halftail dipped his head in appreciation before Swifttail bounded out of the cockpit with Adlerleaf nearly weaving around him. She touched her nose to his before he licked her between the eyes affectionately. He then darted over to Halftail, but Halftail was narrowing his eyes at his son. 

“What," asked Swifttail with widening eyes in bewilderment. 

Halftail just shook his head gravely. There was no point in arguing about it now. “Get yourself ready to go. As soon as Kanan is finishing prepping the Phantom we're out of here."

Swifttail bounded past him before Kanan emerged and looked to Halftail. "Have you seen either Keen or Ezra," he inquired.

Halftail looked around before shrugging. "No, but I did hear voices in the kitchen. I would check there first," he suggested as he strode toward the Phantom. He lowered himself in and realized that Swifttail was already there, lashing his tail impatiently as if he was expecting his father to come.

Once Halftail was down in the Phantom, he strode toward the front, trying to ignore the stares coming from Swifttail. It wasn’t long before Swifttail couldn't take it anymore and surged toward Halftail, nearly knocking him sideways. "What was that about," snarled Halftail as he righted his balance and thrust his head against Swifttail's shoulder. He was still larger and stronger than his son.

“Stop giving Adlerleaf and I those looks of anger and disgust," he snapped as he raised his voice to a shout. "It makes me feel very uncomfortable."

Halftail was a bit taken aback. "And having a mate as a Jedi doesn't?"

“You did," reported Swifttail with rage glowing in his blue eyes. "And I am no different then you. I fell in love and I want to have a family just like you did."

Halftail couldn't believe the words coming out of his son's mouth. "And look how well that's worked out for me. My mate is dead! As well as my son and daughter. I only have one kit left that following in my messy pawsteps! I warned you what could happen."

“Exactly. What could happen," shot back Swifttail smartly. "It could happen, but it won't happen to Adlerleaf and I."

Halftail wanted to tell him what happened in his vision, but he refrained. He doubted that Swifttail would even take into consideration what he told him. Eventually, he just dipped his head, choosing to fight this battle another day. "Fine. Do what you want, but don't say I didn't warn you," he meowed evenly.

Swifttail leaped onto a seat, his tail curling around his paws. "I also don't want those looks anymore."

Halftail turned his head up, trying not to let his ear twitch. "I won't," he assured before he turned to the controls, allowing his whiskers to twitch in frustration as if electricity was pulsing beneath his pelt. It wasn't his fault he had been shown the future of what could happen to his son and Adlerleaf. He was trying to protect them, but they just weren't listening!

It wasn't long before Kanan, Ezra, and Keen popped down. "Are you all ready," inquired Kanan as he sat in the pilot seat next to Halftail.

Halftail shot a look at his son, who was whispering something in Keen’s ear, before he looked back to Kanan. "I believe we are," he replied as he pressed his paw on one of the levers on the control panel. "I hope that we are."


	54. Creatures In The Dark

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Kanan takes Ezra to learn how to bond through the force. Halftail, Keen, and Swifttail tag along.

“Ready to go," Kanan spoke through the comm as he let steered the Phantom away from the Ghost.

The tracking device was thrust onto them and Halftail grimaced. He had dropped out of hyperspace abruptly once before and it wasn't pleasant. He hoped this time would be better. Even so, he laced a buckle over him so that he didn't go flying.

“Be safe," whispered Hera through the comm, mostly at Kanan.

Kanan nodded before they dropped out. Halftail felt the vibrations lightly at first before the full impact started. It felt like someone was trying to rip his skin and pelt off of his body. He gritted his teeth in agony while Keen let out a yelp of agony. Swifttail just hissed as he shook his head in a desperate effort to stop the dizziness.

After a while, it died down and Halftail was able to take in a wheezy breath. It felt like someone was squeezing his chest and never wanted to let go. Eventually, the feeling began to dissipate and he was able to take in a breath. "That was interesting," he called over his shoulder before he let out a rewarded purr of amusement. 

Kanan chuckled. "That was the easy part."

Keen shook his head so much that Halftail thought that his brains may ooze out from his ears. "Easy part? Well, what's going to be the hard part?"

“You'll find out," answered Halftail over his shoulder as he looked to Kanan. "Lead the way. You know where we're going, even if I think that going there is a mistake."

Kanan rolled his eyes at Halftail and Halftail reluctantly shrugged. He just kept his muzzle shut as they steered toward the asteroid belt and where the abandoned clone base was. Just the mention of clones was enough to send shiverers down Halftail's spine. He had been good friends with a few clones before they turned and now he didn't even want to think about them.

“What kind of creatures are there," inquired Swifttail as he extended his claws impatiently. "I feel the presence of some creatures, rather large creatures."

Kanan turned his head stiffly. "You're right, Swifttail. Hey, Ezra, do you know those creatures that you tried to bond with before? There are plenty of them there."

Keen wrinkled his nose in disgust. "Those things look like a mix between a cat and a bat! They are ugly," he exclaimed before Halftail shot him a look. "The bat half I mean."

Halftail turned back to the controls. "Swifttail, Keen, you're going to have to create bonds to each other and I. It will keep us strong and it should keep the creatures away. We also can't bond with Ezra and Kanan, at least not yet."

“Why can't we bond," asked Keen as he strode up to Halftail. "The creatures are like us, so it should be really easy to bond with them, right?"

Halftail purred as he looked down at Keen. "You're quite right. However, this is for Ezra and Kanan. We can bond easily to them later.”

Keen nodded before he bounded back over to Swifttail. He leaped up beside him excitedly. Swifttail hissed him away with a flash of his paw. Keen ducked away with his ears plastered against his head and slid away from Swifttail so he didn't agitate him further. 

“Do you really think it's a good idea to be training right now," asked Ezra as the fear radiating off of him almost made Halftail double over. You didn't have to be a Jedi to sense it. His cat senses could just tell how uncomfortable Ezra was feeling.

Kanan shook his head. "No, but I found that the best way to teach is on the field, for survival."

“So our whole life depends on him," asked Swifttail as he shot Ezra a worried glance. He then shook his head and growled. "Great! We're all going to die!"

Ezra jabbed him harshly in the ribs. "Hey! No we're not. I-I'll do it, don't worry."

Everyone could hear the doubt in his words, but no one had the heart to say anything about it.

It wasn’t long before they landed in an old bunker that was pitch black. Halftail could see in the darkness, but neither Ezra nor Kanan could. Halftail was the first one to the back of the Phantom, ready to leave. Once the door opened, he emerged, scenting the air as he opened his mouth so that the scents could waft in.

“I smell them," announced Halftail as his chest puffed out to make himself seem larger. He knew that it wouldn't keep the creatures away for long, but maybe it would warn them away.

Swifttail crept out after his father with his tail swishing behind him. Keen was the last of the group to follow, terror showing in his deep blue eyes. He bumped into Swifttail's haunch before yelping in fear. Swifttail grabbed Keen by the scruff and thrust him against Halftail's side. Halftail drew Keen close.

“Don't yell like that or they'll come quicker," he whispered in Keen's ear harshly. 

Keen took a step away from Halftail and gulped. "S-Sorry," he stuttered, still trembling.

Halftail sighed as he rolled his eyes. "Now relax and form a bond through the force," he instructed as he closed his eyes in order to concentrate. 

It wasn't long before Halftail heard the hiss of a creature somewhere in front of them. When he opened his eyes he saw their pale yellow eyes, long claws, and sharp teeth. There was a large group of them and they were coming closer and closer. They knew how to flank and outnumber and they knew how easy prey that the Jedi could be.

“Kanan," cried Ezra loud enough that it made Halftail jump.

The creatures were coming ever so close and Halftail signaled with his tail to Swifttail and Keen to lower into battle crouches. Their bond was still strong, but if they bonded with the creatures they might be taken over by Ezra and Kanan through the force. Animals had different force strengths and powers than humans.

“You can do this," whispered Halftail, with a bit of a snarl as he spoke.

Kanan came over after he threw the tracking device on a clone transporter. Halftail had rode in those thousands of times during the Clone Wars. However, the last time he had rode in one, he had nearly been killed. He didn't want to even look at it at the moment.

Kanan raised a hand and tried to bond with the hissing creatures. "It's okay. You can do this," assured Kanan as he kept himself calm while the creatures were coming dangerously forward. 

“I-I can't," whimpered Ezra as he squeezed his eyes tightly. "I'm afraid."

Keen suddenly surged forward and swiped at a creature with a swipe of his paw. He missed miserably and the creature leaped forward, snapping his jaws dangerously close to Keen's neck. Keen yelped in terror and darted over to Halftail. He ducked behind him as he quivered in terror. "They're hungry."

Halftail could tell that. He lowered down and puffed out his fur as he felt the bond between him, Swifttail, and Keen almost strengthening. "Stand your ground," he commanded to Swifttail and Keen with his claws sunk deep into the ground.

They obeyed, but if Ezra and Kanan couldn't bond with them it would be a lost cause.

“Or what," asked Kanan as his voice rose. He even saw the danger in front of them.

Ezra shook his head. "I don't know," he yelped.

Keen was about to dart to his friend's side, but Halftail sunk his teeth into Keen's scruff. "You need to let him do this on his own," he whispered in Keen's ear before he dragged him back beside Swifttail.

“Yes you do," agreed Kanan as a creature leaped right in front of Halftail and reared on his hind legs threateningly. Halftail let out a low growl in his throat and shook his head in attempt to make himself seem stronger. The creature stayed even with him, but he knew that they could attack at any heartbeat.

Ezra bit his lip in frustration. "I'm afraid of knowing. I'm afraid of the truth!"

Ezra's voice echoed around the cave, and to Halftail's surprise, all of the creatures took a step back and sat, purring contently. Halftail let out a breath of relief as Swifttail's eyes widened in surprise. "That was amazing," he breathed in awe as his whiskers twitched proudly. 

Halftail dipped his head. "Yes it is. Someone is closer to being a Jedi."

Ezra opened his eyes before Kanan rested a hand on Ezra's shoulder. "Good job."

Keen sniffed the air before he reared on his hind legs. "I smell a ship and it's getting close," he exclaimed before he lowered back down with his wings spread.

Halftail rested her tail across Keen's shoulders. "It's alright. I think that we have a bit of a head start on them," he answered as he looked to the purring bat-cats.

Kanan and Ezra strode to the back of the cave and sat down. Halftail, Swifttail, and Keen did the same. Now they made a subtle bond with the creatures, and to Halftail's surprise, a creature sat close to him. A growl rolled in Halftail’s throat as he readied himself to battle whatever would threaten his crew.


	55. Fight Of Your Life

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The first fight against the Inquisitor may turn out to be devastating.

Halftail heard the sound of footsteps and the fur along his spine immediately stood on end. A growl rolled in the back of his throat as lights began to shine a couple tail-lengths in front of them. When they finally rested on makeshift crew, Kanan and Ezra sent them forward. 

They attacked the Stormtroopers that advanced in their direction while Swifttail and Keen went after the Inquisitor that hovered at the back of the Stormtroopers. Keen took to the sky while Swifttail aimed for his legs. He thrust a paw against his leg to try and make the Inquisitor stumble while Keen aimed a flurry of paws against his head. The Inquisitor used the force to throw Keen into Swifttail. The two went rolling into a rock and didn't get up.

“Swifttail! Keen," cried out Halftail as he lunged forward with his lightsaber drawn. It collided with the Inquisitor's before the Inquisitor could slice his lightsaber through Swifttail’s or Keen's flesh. "Leave them alone!”

The Inquisitor's eyes glowed. "You have an attachment to these pathetic creatures. Why?"

Halftail didn't need to answer him. He swung his lightsaber around and managed to push the Inquisitor back with his strength. Kanan then joined in and the two continued to battle the Inquisitor together. The Inquisitor overpowered Kanan easily before Halftail fell to the ground after trying to battle two lightsabers at one time. His own lightsaber was knocked from his paw. He tried to use the force to grab it, but the Inquisitor stepped on his paw and Halftail grunted in pain.

“Why are they so important to you? They seem more important to you then just a Master and Apprentice should be," he inquired, baring his pointed teeth threateningly. 

Halftail grunted with effort. "One is my son and the other I love like a son," he answered in a rasp.

The Inquisitor lifted Halftail into the air by his throat and Halftail gasped as his paws were pulled from the ground. He was quickly thrown to an opening in the ground, his body tumbling as air sliced through his fur. He sunk his claws into the edge of the cliff with his hindquarters dangling. He looked down the hole, but saw nothing but blackness.

He tried to haul himself out of the chasm, but the Inquisitor was right above him. He stomped a foot on one of Halftail's paws and applied his full weight on it. Tears shown in the corner of Halftail's eyes as he struggled to kept his claws sunken into the edge of the cliff. He knew that if he let go he would certainly die. 

Suddenly, a rock flew through the air from where Ezra was standing over Kanan. "Pick on someone your own size," he snapped with more rocks ready.

The Inquisitor turned away from Halftail and smiled. "Like you?"

Ezra's eyes widened. "Um no.”

Keen darted over in front of Ezra while Swifttail charged over to Halftail. He lowered down and sunk his teeth into Halftail's shoulder. He hauled him up and eased him down easily. "Thanks," panted Halftail at his son.

Swifttail nodded as Halftail saw the Inquisitor holding Keen and forcing his muzzle shut. Halftail used the force and his lightsaber flew toward him. He caught it easily with his eyes glinting in the sunlight. He then thrust it against the side of the Inquisitor to distract him. Momentarily distracted, the Inquisitor dropped Keen and Keen slunk over to Kanan, who was still unconscious.

“You're outnumbered," yowled Swifttail smartly as he stood on a rock to make himself appear larger.

The Inquisitor used the force and took Halftail's lightsaber from him. He placed it on his belt, and when Halftail tried to take it back, the Inquisitor lifted him with the force. He thrust him against a rock and Halftail felt his shoulder pop out of place. He yowled in agony and when he tried to rise to his paws he just slumped back down, his cheek pressed against the cold stone.

Swifttail charged for the Inquisitor, but the Inquisitor was ready. Once Swifttail leapt for him, the Inquisitor grasped his throat and whispered something in his ear. Halftail couldn't hear what was being said, but he knew that it couldn't be good. The Inquisitor thrust Swifttail against the ground fiercely, leaving him as he marched forward. Swifttail laid limp and lifeless. 

Halftail’s attention turned to Ezra as he stood and began yelling at the Inquisitor. “Not good,” Halftail muttered as he tried to force himself to his paws, promptly falling once more. Tears shone in his eyes as he glanced up to see a creature chasing the Inquisitor in the opposite direction while Ezra crumpled to the ground in his wake. 

Kanan rose to his feet while Halftail forced himself to three strong legs, his shoulder hung lamely beside him. He limped over to Swifttail and pressed his nose into his son’s neck. There was still a pulse! He sunk his teeth into Swifttail’s scruff and dragged him forward. Keen saw Halftail struggling and darted to help. They dragged him into the Phantom with Kanan carrying Ezra. 

Kanan set Ezra down as did Keen and Halftail with Swifttail. Swifttail mumbled something as he pawed at the air with his face twisted in pain. Halftail frowned when he couldn't make out his mumbling. 

“Halftail," called Kanan. "I need you."

Halftail hopped forward and hauled himself onto the seat beside Kanan. He began taking control of the Phantom and manning his controls. "We're ready for takeoff," he hissed through gritted teeth as his shoulder collided with the control panel, sending a tremor or pain through his leg. 

Kanan nodded as he took the steering in his fists. The Phantom lurched upward before it took off into space. Halftail sighed as he leaned back into the chair, resting his shoulder gingerly in front of him. He looked over his shoulder and saw Ezra huddled in what looked like an uncomfortable position. 

“Is he alright," asked Halftail as he turned his attention back on Kanan.

Kanan looked back as well before shaking his head. "He experienced the Dark Side of the force today. What's wrong with Swifttail?"

Halftail bit his tongue. He didn't want to admit that he didn't know. "I'm not sure. The Inquisitor said something to him, but I'm not sure what."

“I'm sure he'll talk when he's ready," assured Kanan as they made the jump to hyperspace. They made it to where the Ghost was waiting. They docked quickly. As soon as they were able, Birchfoot darted forward and his eyes widened as he caught sight of Swifttail.

Halftail limped forward and touched his nose to Birchfoot's shoulder. "Is Zebo in a safe place," he inquired in a low voice.

Birchfoot nodded slowly. "Yes, he is. What happened to all of you?! You look like you've been in war," he exclaimed with worry showing on his face.

Halftail shook his head a bit, his whiskers drooping. "You're not far off." He cringed as he set some weight on his still dislocated shoulder. "We faced the Inquisitor."

Birchfoot twitched his tail before he touched a nose against Halftail's popped out shoulder. Halftail yowled in agony as he drew back from Birchfoot with his eyes wide. Birchfoot didn't say anything as he grasped Halftail's shoulder gingerly in his teeth. Birchfoot rocked back and forth momentarily before leaning forward, popping it back in while Halftail gasped in pain.

Birchfoot shook his head to clear it. "You know, I should really be teaching you how to pop in your own shoulder by now," he muttered before Keen tried to pass him. He stuck out his tail and Keen sighed as he sat down. "You're not going to get past me that easily. Let me check you over."

Birchfoot began to part Keen's fur and test his extremities. "I'm fine," argued Keen as he pulled away from Birchfoot. "I'm just tired. Am I allowed to go to sleep now?"

Birchfoot rolled his eyes. "Alright but I want to see you first thing in the morning just to make sure," he told him sternly. 

Keen dipped his head respectfully as he padded away. Halftail then watched as Birchfoot nudged Swifttail gingerly. Swifttail groaned but didn't move. "He had a bad confrontation with the Inquisitor," murmured Halftail softly. 

Birchfoot turned Swifttail on his side and checked his pulse and breathing. "His vitals are fine, but I can't say the same about his mental state," he confessed as he pressed a paw against Swifttail's shoulder. Swifttail groaned again without making an effort to move.

“I’ll stay with him tonight," offered Halftail as worry lit in his own eyes for his son. He had lost so much and Swifttail was one of the only things that he had left. He couldn't lose him too.

Birchfoot shook his head, wanting to show that as a mentor he could be as responsible for Swifttail as Halftail was. "We'll be fine; I promise." His voice shook as he spoke and Halftail didn't believe him for a heartbeat.

However, he decided to give him the benefit of the doubt. "If you say so. Just come and get me if you need me," he meowed as Birchfoot managed to haul Swifttail to his paws. He leaned on Birchfoot and they stumbled from the Phantom.

“Ready for a nap," asked Kanan as he stood behind Halftail and caused him to jump.

Halftail turned his head and sighed heavily. "Certainly. I feel like I've been hit by the Ghost," he confessed as his eyes almost closed. "I could sleep for a moon."

Kanan chuckled as he picked up Halftail with a grunt. Halftail allowed Kanan to carry him as they made it back to their room quickly. Kanan set Halftail on their bed and he curled into a ball at the end of the bed. His paw draped over the side and he suddenly felt the sudden prick of a needle in his vein. Once it was pulled out he grunted. He lifted his head and saw Kanan throw the syringe away with a bead of serum dripping from the tip.

“Thank you," rasped Halftail softly, practically asleep. It had been a long day and a long battle. 

Kanan smiled warmly. "You're welcome." He then climbed in the bed and Halftail felt his feet brush his flank. They then both drifted off into a deep slumber.


	56. Jedi Retreat

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Fighting the Inquisitor left more than just physical scars on the members of the Ghost crew. Some scars lurk below the surface and some may never be healed.

Halftail sat meditating for what appeared to be forever. He hadn't thought that he had ever meditated this long, even after a long meditating punishment from Master Brisk. Keen and Ezra were supposed to meet him and Kanan two hours ago. When they hadn’t shown, both Halftail and Kanan had decided to go on without them. 

After a while Halftail finally heard pawsteps and footsteps approaching them. Keen emerged, followed by Ezra, hesitantly creeping toward their Masters. Halftail opened one eye and Keen could tell he was displeased. "Oh, hi, Halftail," barked Keen as he smiled awkwardly. 

Kanan stood up and towered over Ezra. "You're late," he remarked as he crossed his arms to show his displeasure. 

Ezra just shrugged, which Halftail thought was very disrespectful. "Over two hours late," he pointed out as he rose to his paws stiffly and strode over to Keen, his tail tip twitching crossly. "A Jedi is always on time and keep their word when they say that they're going to be. It is very disrespectful."

Ezra scowled at him while Keen hung his head as if he understood what Halftail was talking about. "We just had other things that we had to do,” he mumbled shamefully. 

“Were they important," asked Kanan and Halftail could hear in his voice that it was a trick. He had heard Kanan use this question numerous times, even on Halftail himself, but Ezra had never heard it. He was about to get a lesson.

Ezra raised an eyebrow. "Of course it was important! If it wasn't important then I wouldn't have been doing it," reported Ezra, the teenage attitude showing in his tone.

Kanan sighed heavily and his nostrils flared in displeasure. "Is becoming a Jedi important to you?"

Ezra rolled his eyes. "Well yeah but-"

“Then you have to chose which is more important to you. A few moons ago you did something very dangerous. We need to work on that so that it doesn’t happen again, but we only can if you're dedicated," explained Kanan. Although, Halftail wasn't sure that Ezra was getting it. 

Halftail turned his attention to Keen. "Keen, what were you doing," he asked as he sat next to his apprentice.

Keen shuffled his paws in embarrassment. "I was just following Ezra. I'm not really sure what he was doing, but he's my companion. I'm supposed to follow him, right?"

Halftail's mind whirled as he tried to figure out how to explain this to Keen as gently as possible. “Yes, but you also have to be your own mind and make your own decisions. You don't have to do everything that Ezra does, especially if you know that it's wrong."

Keen's eyes flashed in fear as he looked up to Ezra. “I know but it's hard since we lived together and alone with Bluefeather for so long. I really don't want to leave him."

Halftail touched his nose to Keen's ear comfortingly. "Just try it."

Keen nodded as his puffed out his fur in determination. "So what training are we doing today?"

“Sorry, Keen, but I had a limited amount of time to spend training and I promised Birchfoot that I'd help him out today," he meowed as he strode from his room and down the hall to Birchfoot's room. 

He pushed himself in and saw Birchfoot by himself, facing the wall, his tail curled around his paws. Halftail tilted his head in confusion as he drew forward slowly so not to spook him. Birchfoot caught his scent and turned his head. Once he caught sight of Halftail, he purred noisily. "Oh thank Starbound that you're here, Halftail!"

Halftail touched his nose to Birchfoot's before he looked around. "Where's Swifttail?"

Birchfoot lowered his head into his shoulders. "That's a good question," he muttered into his chest fur.

Halftail's eyes widened. Ever since they had gotten back from the fight with the Inquisitor Swifttail hadn't been the same. He had been moody, distant, and always irritated. Halftail had tried to talk to him, as well with Birchfoot and Adlerleaf, but no one could get him to speak about what had happened. “You don't know where he is, do you?"

Birchfoot shook his head. "No I do not."

Halftail bit his tongue. He knew that Swifttail alone probably wasn't a good idea. "I'll go see if I can find him and I guess try and talk to him again. He really doesn't want anything to do with, me but I won't give up, at least not yet."

He then turned and bounded forward and through the Ghost. He leaped down onto the lower level and noticed that the hanger door was open. He saw Swifttail sitting on the edge with his head lowered in his shoulders. "What are you doing here," inquired Halftail as he approached his son. "Birchfoot is worried sick."

Swifttail just flicked his tail dismissively. "He knew that I had to be on the ship so he shouldn't have been that worried," argued Swifttail without turning to look at his father.

“You could have left," argued Halftail as he stomped over to Swifttail's side. "The hanger door is open and we're on Lothal, almost your home planet if you had been born on a planet."

Swifttail bared his teeth at his father. “I should have been born on Hoth. I am a Snow Leopard."

Halftail twitched his whiskers in distain. "You're part puma as well, don't forget what I am. I don't know what's been up with you lately. You're moody and no one wants to go near you, not even Adlerleaf."

“I heard something," Swifttail roared as he spun around to face Halftail. He thrust his muzzle against Halftail's and Halftail took a step backwards in surprise. "I heard something moons ago from the Inquisitor."

Halftail's eyes softened. "Y-You did," he stammered as he tried to act surprised. "Do you want to tell me what he said?" He was tempted to force his son to tell him, but he knew that would just ruffle his fur even more.

Swifttail shook his head as he kinked his tail over his back. "No. I just want to be alone so can you give me some space," he spat.

Halftail was tempted not to, especially after Swiftail spoke to him like that, but he knew that wouldn't get him anywhere, especially not with someone as stubborn as Swifttail. "Alright. If you need anything you know where to find me." He turned begrudgingly and strode away from the hanger door to give Swifttail his precious peace. He sighed as he strode up the ladder and nearly bumped into Molis.

Molis swerved a bit. "Sorry, Halftail! I didn't see you there. Why do you look so down?"

Halftail tried to perk up, but there was no fooling Molis. "I was just trying to talk to Swifttail and it didn't go so well. It never goes very well anymore."

Molis's eyes filled with sympathy before he gingerly grabbed Halftail's scruff. Halftail snarled and turned to scratch at Molis's chest fur. "What are you doing," he growled in shock.

“I want to show you something," he mumbled through Halftail's thick fur. He dragged Halftail backwards with Halftail flailing his legs in frustration. He set Halftail down a few paces away and forced him to look up at the picture of Bine. 

Halftail tore himself away from Molis as much as possible before he begrudgingly looked up at the picture. "Yeah, it's a picture of Bine. What about her," he nearly snapped since he didn't want to be reminded that his mate wasn't here. Bine would have been able to calm Swifttail down in a heartbeat, he knew it! He just couldn't do the same. 

Molis reared on his hind legs and pointed at Bine's eyes. "When you look into her eyes what do you see?" Halftail didn't answer as he looked away, his fur fluffing up along his spine. Molis leaped down and lashed his tail in frustration. “What do you see?"

Halftail peered back up at Molis through slitted eyes. "I see her love and affection. What does that matter, though? Bine is dead and I can't bring her back," he shouted so that the whole Ghost could hear, even Swifttail. "No one can bring her back!”

Molis clicked his teeth together. "You're right, no one can bring her back. That doesn't mean that you can't show what you loved about her through yourself. Swifttail needs that and it's what Bine would have wanted."

Halftail flicked his tail to and fro behind him as he dipped his head. "Thanks for the advice, Molis, but I'm afraid that I'm nothing like Bine." He turned and strode toward his room where Kanan still was. When he pushed his way through the entrance, Kanan looked over to him in surprise. 

“I felt your rage through the force. You should probably monitor that," he suggested as he uncrossed his legs and rose to his feet. "And your volume."

Halftail blushed in embarrassment as he realized how loud he had been with Molis. He instantly regretted that. "I'm sorry. It's just hard to balance both training Keen in the ways of a Jedi and in moralities while training Swifttail as my son and a Jedi. It's like double the trouble." He suddenly realized he was complaining and he shook his head madly. "I'm sorry to unload this all out on you. This isn't what a Jedi should do."

Kanan kneeled down in front of him and forced Halftail to look into his eyes as he forced his chin upward. "It's alright," he whispered. "I think that we all need some space and meditation."

Halftail's ears pricked. "That didn't really work earlier, you know," he pointed out as he drew away from Kanan.

Kanan chuckled as he stood erect and hooked his lightsaber to his belt. "I wasn't thinking about meditating here. I was thinking about taking a little field trip. I think that it would be good for all of them to maybe get away from us and really find themselves," he explained.

“That sounds good, but where do you think that we should actually go," inquired Halftail as he strode over to his area and picked up a syringe. He sat down heavily as he he injected the needle in his vein. He felt the fire moving through him, which was really the liquid, and he groaned in pain. Once he was finished he tossed it into the waste basket and he heard the shards of glass shatter. 

Kanan stroked his beard thoughtfully, just like Jedi Master Obi-Wan Kenobi used to do. "I know a place. Do you trust me," he asked his friend.

Halftail stood and puffed out his chest, ignoring the blood that trickled from his leg where he had used the syringe. "When I have ever not trusted you," he inquired, although he didn't let Kanan answer before speaking again. "I'll gather Keen and Swifttail if you want to get Ezra and we'll meet you outside in five heartbeats."

He pushed from their room and quickly heard Keen. He turned into his room and saw Keen and Zeb 'wrestling'. Halftail couldn't help but purr as he saw Zeb pretend to be knocked aside by Keen. Keen them leaped on his chest and snarled in his face. "I got ya know!"

Zeb grasped Keen's shoulders in his large paws and pushed him off of him before he sprang to his feet. Keen took to the air with his feathered wings battering at the sides of the room “I don't think so," Zeb snapped as he swiped at the air, his claws gingerly raking Keen’s chest fur.

Halftail cleared his throat and the two turned to stare at him. Keen smiled bashfully while Zeb just stood like he had done nothing. "I'm sorry to interrupt your game. Do you think I could borrow Keen for the rest of the day."

Keen landed gingerly and folded his wings against his sides. "What do you need, Halftail?"

“You'll see," Halftail answered as he flicked a paw in the direction of the door. "Just go outside and I'll meet you there in a heartbeat."

Keen just shrugged before he looked over his shoulder to Zeb. "Can we play later? Please?" His voice was still high pitched like a pup and Halftail remembered how young Keen and Swifttail truly were. They had just grown up really fast.

Zeb laughed before nodding vigorously. "You bet! I suggest sharpening up on your battle moves so that you can actually hold your old against the best fighter in the universe."

Keen tilted his head. "You mean Molis?"

Zeb growled in mock frustration as he surged forward. Keen yelped as he tucked his tail between his legs and sped from the room. Halftail chuckled as he strode after his apprentice with his tail kinked over his back. He followed Keen until he came across Swifttail, still laying at the entrance of the Ghost. Halftail stifled a sigh as Keen tried to jab at Swifttail, inviting him to play.

Swifttail stood and arched his spine. He hissed at Keen and Keen whimpered in shock. He darted away from Swifttail as quickly as he could. Halftail darted over to Swifttail, but thoughts better chastising him for treating Keen like that. "We're going on a special retreat," he announced to his son.

Swifttail blinked his eyes in surprise. “A retreat? All of us?"

“Just Kanan, Ezra, Keen, you, and me," replied Halftail as he nudged Swifttail, forced him to relax. "We're going on a Jedi retreat."

Swifttail seemed a bit apprehensive. "Who chose that idea?" 

“Kanan," answered Halftail, feeling his mouth go dry. "He thought that it would be a good thing for us to find some space to really figure things out."

Swifttail didn't immediately say it was a bad idea, but he didn't really jump on the idea either. "Do you really think that will work?"

Halftail strode forward and saw Keen practicing some stalking. "I'm hoping. I guess we’ll just have to wait and see.”

It wasn't long before Kanan and Ezra came out with Kanan taking the lead. Keen stumbled after Ezra, tripping on his paws in the process. He seemed the most excited out of the group. Swifttail trailed after Keen and Halftail noticed how skinny he looked. His fur was thin as well. He almost looked sickly. 

Halftail looked up at the burning sun as he whispered to the sky. “Please make this work. If not I think that Swifttail won't be alive for much longer."


	57. Past, Present, and Future

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A trip to a mysterious structure finds Halftail dealing with what has happened, what is happening, and what will happen while he is powerless to stop it.

It wasn't long before they made it to a large almost mountain. Halftail recognized it instantly. Numerous Jedi came there to meditate and to find their crystal for their lightsabers. His had been on Hoth, but there were numerous places one could go all over different planets. This was just one of the remaining ones on Lothal. 

Keen's eyes widened in awe. "How are we supposed to get in?" He reared on his hind legs. "From the top?"

Halftail chuckled as he nudged Keen's shoulder. "We're going to have to use the force to get in," he replied as he looked up to Kanan. "On your cue."

Kanan and Ezra raised their hands first. Halftail, Swifttail, and Keen were next. They used the force to move the large stone in front of the massive structure. Once they have moved the stone fully, Keen darted toward. "This place is huge," exclaimed Keen as he squeezed into a small crack that led right into the cavern.

Halftail purred in amusement as he strode forward and looked around as well. Keen darted past him before he collided with a spike sticking out of the ground. He took a step back and shook his head to clear it. "There are so many stalagmites and stalactites here," he assessed.

Swifttail stepped forward and blew dust from between Keen's ears. "Probably trying to keep you away," he meowed before he narrowed his eyes as they struggled to adjust. "It is hard to see in here."

Keen turned to look at Halftail. "What are we doing here? It's kind of creepy," he whimpered as Ezra and Kanan passed him. He jumped after them, not wanting to be left behind.

“Don't worry," assured Kanan as he looked around. "Just use the force to get your way through."

Keen stood erect with his chest puffed out in pride as he waltzed forward. Swifttail followed him while Halftail brought up the rear. He always felt the safest at the back. 

Ezra suddenly let out a scream and a few of the spikes from the ceiling fell. One landed right in front of Keen. He stumbled into it with Swifttail falling into his haunches. The two fell backwards and turned unpleased eyes to Ezra.

Kanan did the same while Halftail just seemed scared out of his fur at the sudden outburst. Ezra smiled timidly once he realized he was just yelling at a stature. "Oops. I thought it was something worse."

“Like a statue has ever killed anyone," muttered Swifttail as he rose to his paws and skirted forward on swift and agile paws.

They didn't make it far before Kanan looked at the group. "Here is where we must split up."

“Split up," echoed Keen in surprise as he peered around with wide eyes. "I-I don't think that's such a good idea, Kanan. What if one of us gets lost."

Kanan smiled at he kneeled to rest a hand on Keen's shoulder. "Then use the force to find your way."

Keen didn't seem convinced as Halftail nudged his haunch. "You'll be fine, Keen. Just decide which path you want to take and may Starbound bless your path."

“O-Okay, Halftail," stammered Keen as he pretended to look confident. His eyes traveled to a small cavern a tail-length away. He bunched his muscles as he darted into it, his blue pelt disappearing into the darkness.

Swifttail's eyes shone as he picked a path a bit higher up. He leaped on some rocks and send the grit showering down on Halftail's head. Halftail shook the grit from his fur, but when he looked back up, Swifttail was already gone.

Halftail chose a path that it seemed most might have missed. It was hidden behind two rocks and the ceiling was so low that he would have to duck to get through. He would fit, but it would be a tight squeeze. He looked once over his shoulder at Kanan before he sucked in a breath and strode forward.

His paws echoed against the cave ground and soon that became the only sense that he could use; hearing. The cave was dark beyond belief and even a cat's keen eyesight couldn't see through it. When he tried to scent the air the only thing he could detect was dampness and rocks. Thanks to his whiskers he could tell how close the walls were to him, but other than that he was basically traveling blind.

He suddenly stumbled when his paws could no longer feel solid ground in front of him. He lurched forward and gulped as he tumbled down the rockface. He landed with a grunt on his back, pain pulsing through him. He looked up and realized there was a small opening at the top that let in sunlight. The light pointed right to a small pool that was practically glowing.

He righted himself and bounded over to the pool. He dipped his head before stooping low to lap at the cool and refreshing water. It slid down his throat and landed in his empty belly. This was the most wonderful tasting water he had ever had.

“He's useless!"

Halftail's head darted upward as his ears twitched. Fresh pool water dribbled down his chin, but that wasn't on his mind anymore. He knew that voice.

“He'll never be a Jedi like this! He was born weak and he'll die weak!"

Halftail shook his head as a growl rolled in his throat. It was the voice of the other Padawans who used to train with him. They would always make fun of him, even when Halftail could hear them.

“You should forget about him, Master Brist. There's no way that he'll be a Jedi in that condition."

“I believe in him. Why don't you."

Halftail's heart leaped in his chest as he heard his Master's voice along with the healer that had watched over him on many sleepless nights. "Master," he called as he splashed into the pool. It was only up to his underbelly at it's deepest point so he wasn't worried about drowning. "Master, where are you?"

“He's not here, Halftail."

Halftail turned his head and saw the beautiful yet misty figure of his mate, Bine. "Bine," he cried as a sob welled in his throat. He desperately wanted to see her again, but not if she was just going to be a voice shouting hateful things at him.

Bine pranced over to the pool, stopping at the edge to stop her paws from getting wet. "Get of out there," she hissed as she threw her tail over her back. "That'll only make things worse."

Halftail looked at his paws through the clear water before he trudged back onto the bank. He sat beside her, a shivering traveling through his body. There was so much that he wanted to say that he couldn't think of what to ask her first. "What's happening to me here?"

Bine lowered her head a bit until she could see her reflection in the water. "You drank from this pool and you've unlocked the Pain of the Past."

Halftail shook some water from his whiskers. "The what?" 

Bine lifted her head. "The Pain of the Past. There are three stages here. Pain of the Past, Pristine of the Present, and Fame of the Future," explained Bine.

Halftail didn't think that any of those sounded that great. "Why am I going through all of these? Why can't you just tell me about what will happen instead of making it like a riddle?"

Bine purred warmly. "I don't make the rules, I just enforce them. I'm sorry that we couldn't meet on better circumstances but it is how it is."

“Have you seen Swifttail from the stars," Halftail wondered. Just the thought of his lost son made tears prick at the corner of his eyes. "He's lost and I can't find him."

Bine leaned forward and touched his nose to her cheek. "I've seen him and I've seen the pain that is inside of him. He is going to go through something like you, but it certainly will be hard for him."

Halftail didn't want it to be hard for him. He wanted to protect Swifttail from everything! However, he knew that he couldn't always stop Swifttail from the pain that he would experience in his life. "What did the Inquisitor say to our son?”

Bine bit her bottom lip before she turned and kinked her tail over her back. "I'm not allowed to say. This is between you and Swifttail. He'll come to you when you're ready."

“So now that we've made it to the Pain of the Past then can we move on," Halftail nearly pleaded. He wanted to move through these stages as quickly as possible. Any memory of his past was painful. The last thing he wanted to do was continue to relieve it. 

Bine looked at the small opening in the cavern, nodding slowly. "Follow me and keep close. This is a place where your worst fears can come to light if you let them," she whispered softly. She slowly rose to her paws and snaked through a small opening in the rocks. Halftail followed and tried to take in every moment for as precious as it was. He knew that soon Bine wouldn't be there for much longer.

They soon emerged into another part of the cave. There wasn't an opening for the sun, but the floor glimmered thanks to a speckling of rocks embedded into the ground. "This place is as beautiful as you," breathed Halftail.

Bine turned and her eyes gleamed. "I love you so much, but flattery isn't going to stop me from showing you these things. Just be glad it's me who's showing you these things and not someone else," she purred as she waved a paw over a tiny pool of gleaming water. "Take a sip and then it'll start."

Halftail lowered his head and lapped at the water just like he had from the other pool. It felt as cool and refreshing as the first pool, but it wasn't long before his mind began to whirl. He took a step back and raised a paw to his head, claws extended as his back arched in pain. “What's happening?!"

Bine pressed against Halftail and licked his cheek affectionately. "Calm down," she chided in a hiss. "Now look forward."

Halftail blinked open his eyes and saw Swifttail walking with two full grown cats that he didn't recognize. One was a tom and the other one was a she-cat. They were pressed against Swifttail as they were showed him sort some of the same things that Halftail had seen.

“Who are they," asked Halftail as he reached out a paw and longed to touch Swifttail’s flank to guide him. 

Bine's eyes widened in surprise. "You don't recognize them? That's Wildspirit and Sweetsong." She saw her mate's jaw drop as she purred in amusement. "They've certainly grown, haven't they? Swifttail isn't the only cat that’s grown into his looks.”

Halftail dipped his head. "I suppose. Are they showing Swifttail the same thing that you're showing me?"

Bine shrugged. She stepped daintily over to the pool, her chin pressed against her chest. "It's different for everyone. Their future, past, and present is different depending on what happened to them and what they want to happen to them."

“Want," echoed Halftail. Bine nudged her head against his shoulder.

“Follow me," Bine ordered as she strode forward with Halftail right behind. She climbed the rockface with Halftail following. They bounded together through a larger tunnel. Their fur brushed as they ran, just like they used to.

They suddenly tumbled down the rockface. The two rolled as Bine landed on Halftail and she blushed in embarrassment. Halftail chuckled in amusement. He lifted his head and licked Bine between the ears. "It's been forever since we've been this close," he breathed as his tail twitched.

Bine purred back before she pushed herself off of Halftail, her tail curling under Halftail's jaw. "And we're going to have to wait a little longer for that," she pointed out before she flicked a paw toward the pool. "This is the last part of the trail. Drink from the pool and you should see the future."

Halftail wasn't sure if he wanted to see the future. He stalked forward and lowered his head as he lapped at the water. Once he was finished, he raised his head and his eyes turned hazy. He licked his lips before he saw four small kits darting forward, wrestling and growling playfully.

Swifttail then followed them, his eyes filled in sadness. Halftail suddenly realized that Adlerleaf was no where to be seen. 

“Who are they," asked Halftail as he gazed at the four kits.

Bine's eyes glowed. "You don't know? Look really closely and tell me who they look like."

Halftail leaned forward until his gaze fell on the smallest of the four kits. His pelt was black and white, just like Swifttail’s. However, his eyes appeared blank instead of the usual bright blue of Bine and Swifttail. Another long furred white she-cat jumped around the black and white kit’s paws. A dappled golden she-kit rolled onto her back as she laughed up at her father. The last was a gray tom that looked like Halftail, his ears small and eyes gleaming. 

“Swifttail and Adlerleaf’s kits,” Halftail breathed.

Bine nodded. “Very good.”

Halftail tilted his head. "But where's Adlerleaf? It's obvious that she's the mother but I can't see her."

Bine hung her head as grief lit in her eyes. "Not everyone makes it, Halftail."

“I warned Swifttail and he didn't listen," he bellowed as rage sounded in his voice.

Bine wove around her mate and purred in his ear. "I know. You knew that he wouldn't listen as well as I did. He just found out the hard way. Love has that effect on people."

Halftail pressed his head against Bine's shoulder. "I miss you so much and now our son will have to live with his mistakes.”

“Not for some time but yes, he will," answered Bine as her voice took on a ghostliness. 

Halftail took a step back and realized that she was disappearing. "No," he cried out as he tried to latch onto her with his front paws and keep her from leaving him.

Bine's eyes closed. "You are on your own now, my love. But don't lose hope. Things will look up one day. I love you."

She disappeared just as quickly as she appeared. Halftail realized he was alone once more. Halftail looked upward and tears began to flow down from his eyes. "I hope you're right, Bine. I hope you're right."


	58. Lightsabers

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Going through the trails of past, present, and future comes with some rewards.

Swifttail stalked forward through the tunnel that he'd chosen. He couldn't see, smell, or scent anything. "How am I supposed to relax when I can't control anything,” he muttered darkly.

“Don't worry, Swifttail," meowed a voice at the end of the tunnel.

Swifttail stood rigid, puffing out his fur in alarm. "Who's there," he snarled as he tried to make himself seem larger and stronger than he was. However, inside he was quaking in fear. 

There was a soft purr at the side of the tunnel as well. It was a lot softer than the first voice. "It's okay, Swifttail. Just come to the other side of the tunnel and all will be clear."

Swifttail reluctantly stalked forward with his head lowered into his shoulders. He suddenly emerged into another tunnel as sun shone on his fur. His eyes managed to focus in front of him on a she-cat and a tom. The she-cat was beautifully white with black splotches while the tom was brown almost like Halftail.

“W-Who are you," stammered Swifttail as fear glowed in his eyes.

The she-cat tilted her head. "You don't remember us, Swifttail?"

Swifttail shook his head madly. "No! Should I? Also how do you two know my name," he inquired as he extended his claws to curl them in front of him.

The brown tom lifted his tail and narrowed his eyes. "You should know us very well. I'm Wildspirit and this is Sweetsong," he meowed.

Swifttail's eyes widened in surprise. "My littermates," he exclaimed as he darted forward and touched his nose to Wildspirit’s and Sweetsong's nose in turn. "It's been so long! Why are you here?"

“We're here to show you something," answered Sweetsong as she pressed against Swifttail and pushed her head against his chest. "It's been a long time since I've been able to see you."

Swifttail purred as he felt his sister and brother beside him. He hadn't had a chance to grow up with them and that had always made him pray that when he had kits they would have littermates to grow up with them. "I know it's been forever! But what do you mean that you have something to show me?"

Wildspirit kinked his tail over his back. "You'll see. Now drink from this pool and all will be clear, or at least mostly clear," he meowed as he lowered down and pointed his muzzle to a glittering and sparkling pool in the middle of a large cave.

Swifttail surged forward and stopped at the edge. He lowered down and lapped at the surface of the water. It tasted cool and refreshing, not like the water that he had been forced to drink on the Ghost. No, this was actually good. "This is delicious," he purred as he looked up to his brother and sister. "Don't you want some?"

Sweetsong and Wildspirit exchanged a glance. "We have our own water supply in Starbound," answered Wildspirit respectfully. "But you go ahead."

Swifttail shrugged as he began to lap some more, some water even falling from his tongue in the process. He then sat upright as some water dripped down his chin and onto his chest. His head began to feel like it had been stuffed with leaves. He shook his head to clear it before he turned his attention back to Sweetsong and Wildspirit. 

“Look over there," ordered Sweetsong as she pointed her claw over to a shaded place at the back of the cave.

Swifttail turned to look at the shaded place. He then saw a beautiful Snow Leopard standing next to his father. She pressed her head against his chest and tears showed in Halftail's eyes. "Oh my love, I’m sorry that I have to leave you. I know that you’re going to be an amazing father.”

Swifttail gasped as he stumbled into the water, throwing his head sideways. Once he did he saw Halftail leap in front of vicious cats with Bine standing wide eyed behind him. Once he was finished he nudged a wing of some sort of prey toward her. "Here, you deserve this more than they do," he breathed.

Bine's eyes lit. "Thank you."

Again agitation and shock made Swifttail's paws tingle. He stomped in the water and walked back to the bank, hauling himself with water streaming down his pelt. His gazed turned downcast as he saw an image reflected on the water in front of him. He leaned over until he saw his mother laying with three small kits sucking at her underbelly. 

“Wildspirit, Sweetsong, and what," asked Halftail as he looked into Bine's darkening eyes.

Bine wheezed as she breathed. "I want him to be named after you. I want him to have tail at the end of his name, just like you!"

“Swifttail," answered Halftail in a heartbeat without even waiting. "I think that he should be named Swifttail."

Swifttail snarled as he swung his head around to glare at his brother. "What have you done to me? Why are you showing me this stuff," he demanded as he thrust a paw against the ground in rage as his claws jutted out from his paws. 

Wildspirit seemed a bit taken back. "We haven't done anything to you. We're just showing you what the past was like. Now, we have to show you the present." 

“I'm in the present, I know what is happening," snapped Swifttail as he turned his muzzle high in the air. "Why do I have to see the present?"

Sweetsong wove around Swifttail gingerly before pulling away and padding over to Wildspirit. "It's not your present."

Swifttail wasn't sure what she meant, but before he could ask, an image opened in the pool of water. He narrowed his eyes in concentration as he saw Keen prancing around. His fur was dusty brown with dirt instead of blue, but he didn't seem to mind. He was weaving around two large wolves with wings just like him. He yipped and licked at the she-wolf's chin.

“Why did you have to go," inquired Keen as the she-wolf lowered her head so that Keen could press against her chest. 

The she-wolf licked Keen between the ears. "We had to keep you and your aunt safe. We couldn't let the Empire get to you. It doesn't mean that we didn't love you. If anything it should make you feel that you're even more loved."

Keen didn't seem convinced as he left the she-wolf to bound over the male wolf and wove around his legs. "Did you protect Mother for as long as you could," he inquired as he peered up at his father hopefully.

Keen's father lowered his head and rubbed his nose against Keen's cheek. "I'm still protecting her. I'll always protect her and you. You just need to make sure that you look after Bluefeather."

Keen tilted his head. "Of course! I'm training to be a Jedi," he exclaimed before he leaped onto his father's shoulders. His father grunted as he struggled to hold Keen’s weight. "With a snow leopard named Swifttail. He's awesome and he's one of my best friends, at least I think he is. He's been a little distant lately."

“Don't worry, Keeneyes. Things are difficult right now and I'm sure that he'll snap out of it," assured Keen's father as he raised his wings and pushed Keen off of his shoulders. “You just need to give him time.”

Swifttail looked away. "Those are Keen's parents, aren't they?"

Wildspirit and Sweetsong exchanged a glance before Wildspirit nodded. "Yes, they are. They love their pup just as Halftail and Bine love us. You're just lucky that Father is still there to protect you."

Swifttail staggered under the weight of her words. "I suppose you're right. Can you just show me the future now? I hope that it's better than the past or present. This is just making me depressed."

Sweetsong came up to the pool and touched his whiskers to it. It shimmered blue before it went back to its usual clear color. "Take another lap and you will see one out of many futures. This will be the one that you're on right now."

Swifttail sighed as he lowered down and lapped at the perfect water. Once he raised his head, he felt his head buzz. He groaned, his eyes straining to remain open as he saw himself and Adlerleaf walking together. They were pressed so close that their pawsteps wove together, making it difficult to tell which paw prints were his or Adlerleaf’s. Just the sight of her made a purr rise in Swifttail’s throat. Then he saw three kits following them.

“Are those my kits," breathed Swifttail as his whiskers twitched. 

Wildspirit rolled his eyes. "Don't puff your chest out just yet. You are no way near ready to be a father."

A growl rolled in Swifttail's throat before he swiveled his head to narrow his eyes at Wildspirit. "Were Halftail and Bine ready to be parents? No, but they still had kits and I think that Halftail is doing a good job of raising me."

Sweetsong's eyes lit in sympathy. "Yes, but they probably wouldn't do it again if they had the chance. Don't worry, Swifttail. You'll be an excellent father, I know."

Swifttail purred before he touched his nose to hers. "Thanks, Sweetsong. I hope to see you again one day."

Wildspirit then took a step forward and pushed his head against Swifttail's shoulder. "I'll watch after her until you arrive. Good luck."

Swifttail smiled as he watched the two disappeared. In their place was a magnificent blue crystal. He tilted his head in surprise before he picked it gingerly in his claws. "Awesome," he purred before he bounded to the entrance that he had come from. He couldn't wait to show his father what he had found.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Halftail emerged from the tunnel he had traveled down and saw Kanan. "Kanan," he purred as he darted forward and wove around Kanan's legs.

Kanan chuckled as he leaned down and scratched Halftail under the chin. "How are you doing? Did you find what you were looking for?" 

Halftail shrugged. "More or less I suppose. Am I the first one back?"

Kanan nodded. "I'm sure that everyone will be back in a little bit."

As soon as he was finished speaking, Keen darted forward from his tunnel, covered in dirt. "Halftail! Kanan! Look what I found," he exclaimed as he spat out a blue crystal at Halftail's paws.

Halftail purred. "A Kyber crystal."

“A what," inquired Keen as he tilted his head.

Halftail licked Keen's ear affectionately. "It's the most important part of the lightsaber. You must have done something truly special to be worthy of the crystal."

Keen tilted his head. "I don't think so. I mean, I don't know so. But can we get out of here? All of this dirt is making my pelt itch," he grunted as he sat and scratched behind his ear with his hind leg.

Kanan rolled his eyes. "We'll leave as soon as Swifttail and Ezra get here."

It wasn't long before Swifttail clawed himself from his tunnel, holding a blue crystal between his claws. Keen darted over to Swifttail and his eyes shone. "You got one too! Awesome!"

Swifttail nodded. "Yeah, it is awesome. I just don't know why we would get one here."

Halftail purred while Kanan smiled knowingly. Suddenly Keen lifted his nose to the air and his tail wagged, indicating that Ezra was approaching.

Ezra came out, holding his very own crystal in his hand. When he showed it to Kanan, the elder Jedi nodded to Halftail. "All blue. Is that a coincidence?"

Ezra shrugged. "I'm not sure, but I think that blue is the best color."

Halftail purred before he twitched his ears. "Let's get going. I can hear Zeb getting into it with Chopper as we speak," he meowed as he led the way out of the cave. Once everyone was out, Keen let out a yelp of shock.

Halftail turned and watched as the cavern began to seep back into the ground. Ezra's eyes widened. "Is it supposed to do that?"

Kanan shook his head. "I don't think so, but it's not like we could stop it," he pointed out as he pointed back to the Ghost. "Let's get moving so that you all can make your lightsabers."

“Make our lightsabers," echoed Swifttail as excitement shinned in his eyes. "Really?"

Halftail licked Swifttail's cheek fondly. "Oh yes! Your crystals won't do too much good without a way to channel them. We don't have much in the Ghost, but I'm sure we have enough for each of you to make a very good lightsaber," he assured.

Amusement lit in Keen's eyes as he jabbed a paw into Swifttail's side. "Last one to the Ghost is a batcat!" He surged forward while Swifttail growled in annoyance and darted after him. Ezra charged after them with Halftail and Kanan doing the same. 

Halftail was the last one inside the Ghost and he nearly collided with Bluefeather. "Sorry," he apologized quickly.

She rolled her eyes in amusement. "What is the hurry? Is something chasing you?"

Halftail shook his head. "Ezra, Swifttail, and Keen are just excited to build their lightsabers."

“Lightsabers," echoed Molis as he came up behind Bluefeather.

Halftail nodded slowly. "Yep. They're growing up, you know, and the next step in being a Jedi is constructing their own lightsabers."

“What will they look like," inquired Adlerleaf as she romped up beside Halftail, her eyes glimmering in excitement.

Halftail shrugged. "That's up to them. The possibilities are endless."


	59. New Scoundrel

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A failed bet means another unfortunate guest on the Ghost.

Halftail sprawled out on the bar's floor. His eyes were nearly closed as he nearly drifted off into sleep. However, the sound of Zeb and another man gambling pulled Halftail’s attention. Zeb was a rather loud gambler and Halftail wished that he would just quiet down. 

Kanan, Swifttail, and Molis were also at the bar. They weren't gambling, but they were having a good time just hanging out without anything to do.

“Zeb has been at it forever," complained Swifttail as he rolled onto his back beside his father. "Is he really getting anywhere with gambling or is it just a pass time?"

Kanan lifted his head and sighed. "I'll go and check on him," he murmured as he came over and kneeled beside Zeb. "So how's it going?"

“I think I've got him," assured Zeb as he nodded down to Chopper. "But he's part of the bet."

Halftail, Swifttail, and Molis perked up at that. Was Zeb betting Chopper? Molis started forward and looked up at Zeb. "Are you really going to bet a member of the crew?”

“You can't bet Chopper," argued Kanan as he stood over Zeb. Zeb then flashed his hand at Kanan. Kanan whistled and his eyes widened. "See, I can't lose."

He suddenly thrust down his cards and crossed his arms against his chest proudly. The man that he was playing against chuckled as and threw his hand down. Zeb and Kanan's mouth gaped open in shock as they realized that the man's hand actually beat Zeb's. 

Halftail suddenly saw the man's hands fumble a bit under him. He had other cards! He was cheating. Halftail strode forward and was about to show the cards to the rest of the table, but Swifttail pushed his head against his father's shoulder to stop him. 

“Don't," snapped Swifttail in Halftail's ear. "Something tells me that you don't want to mess with someone like that."

Halftail reluctantly agreed as he took a step back, his eyes narrowed to slits.

“You cheated," snapped Zeb as he curled his fists at his sides

The man shook his head. "I think you're just frustrated." He then patted Chopper greedily. "Now me and my new friend should be off."

Chopper made some annoyed beeping before Swifttail took a step forward and threw his shoulders forward, muscles rippling under his fur. "You can't do that. Chopper is apart of our crew!" He stomped a paw against the ground defiantly. "We can't just let you take him away."

The man looked down to Swifttail with blazing eyes, but Swifttail didn't step down. He had courage, Halftail could give him that. "Then do you have something else in return for Chopper?"

Swifttail plastered his ears against his head. "I er um....what do you want," asked Swifttail as his confidence grew a bit, despite his quaking voice.

The man looked at Chopper and Kanan before he looked down to Swifttail. "Transportation. I need to pick up cargo and then need someone to drop me off."

“Deal," exclaimed Swifttail before Halftail cleared his throat. "That is if my Dad and Kanan says it is alright."

The man looked up to Kanan before he shook his hand. "Lando is the name."

“And is tricking people your game," shot back Molis as his tail tip twitched in hostility.

Lando just smiled back at Molis. "Your pets are interesting. So, is it a deal if I give you back the credits and Chopper?"

Kanan looked like he wanted to argue, but nodded. "Deal, but you better not be tricking us, Lando," he grumbled as he pointed a finger at Lando's chest. 

Lando raised his hands. "Don't worry about it."

Kanan looked to Halftail. "Lead the way back to the Ghost." Halftail gave a firm nod of agreement and flicked his tail against Swifttail's haunch. Swifttail bit his tongue before he bounded after him.

“I'm sorry," apologized Swifttail as he hung his head. 

Halftail's eyes widened in shock. "For what? You didn't do anything wrong." Unless he had done something that he wasn't aware of. He hoped that wasn’t it.

Swifttail looked away from his father. "I talked to Lando like I was in command. I should have let you or Kanan speak instead of me."

Halftail rested his tail across his son's rippling shoulders. "You're growing not only as a tom, but as a Jedi. That's what Jedi do. You stepped up and if anything I'm proud. You may have overstepped the boundaries a bit, but you did so for a good reason.”

Swifttail let out a sigh of relief. "Thank StarBound! I thought you were really going to lay into me."

Halftail shook his head, remembering his time in the cavern with Bine. "I wouldn't do that." He then nudged Swifttail. "Race ya!"

The two darted forward with Molis following. They surged into the Ghost together and Halftail thought that he should warn the other members about Lando. Birchfoot and Adlerleaf didn’t take kindly to uninvited quests they didn’t know about. Keen met Halftail at the entrance of the Ghost, leaping onto his back playfully. "Can we play now? I’ve come up with some great moves!”

Halftail purred as he reared on his hind legs, Keen promptly falling from his back. "Maybe later. Right now we're going to have a visitor."

“A visitor," echoed Keen in interest as his tail flicked. "Who?"

Before Halftail could answer Kanan, Molis, and Lando arrived in with Chopper still beeping behind them. Zeb brought up the rear, looking slightly embarrassed. Lando was talking loudly and Halftail saw Keen narrow his eyes and growl in distrust. "Nice ship. What model is it?"

Kanan kept his voice cool. "Yes it is a nice ship. Before we get going I want you to meet everyone on the Ghost." He looked to Halftail and Keen. "You've already met Halftail. The wolf beside him is Keen.”

Keen continued to growled when Lando tried to reach out a hand to touch him. Lando drew back quickly, shaking his head. "Feisty little thing." 

Bluefeather came in from around the corner with Hera, Adlerleaf, Sabine, Ezra, and Birchfoot. "Who is this," asked Bluefeather as she looked up at Lando. Keen darted forward and curled between her forelegs protectively. 

Kanan looked at her and forced a smile. "Everyone this is Lando. Lando this is Bluefeather, Adlerleaf, Birchfoot, Ezra, Sabine and Hera, the pilot of our ship."

Lando's eyes immediately traveled to Hera. "So shouldn't he have asked you if I could tag along," he asked in his usually smooth tone.

Hera was a bit taken back. "No. If he thinks this is best then I trust him."

Lando was trying to rile Kanan up and Halftail saw it. Anything with Hera could really do that. "Why don't you ask why we're lugging him around," suggested Molis impatiently.

Halftail coughed to gather everyone’s attention. "He lost Chopper in a bet."

“What," snapped Hera as she slapped Kanan on the shoulder. "What were you thinking?!"

Kanan looked aside in shame. "Zeb had a great hand and we needed the credits and fuel. Don't blame me."

“Could you show me around this wonderful ship?" Lando's question interrupted the terrible silence. 

Hera looked over to Swifttail. "Could you while I ready the Ghost?" Her voice showed that it really wasn't a request, it was an order.

Swifttail dipped his head and smiled. "S-Sure," he stammered as he kinked his tail over his back and trotted forward. "Follow me, Lando."

Lando smiled before he followed Swifttail up from the hanger. Bluefeather romped over to Halftail and shook her head. "I don't trust him," she declared with a twitch of her right ear.

Halftail sighed as he stretched out, his back arched in a pained stretch. "I don't either, but it's not like we can do anything about it." He rightened himself and licked her ear comfortingly. "I'm going to train with Keen for a bit. We don't need him to know how much we don't like Lando."

Bluefeather nodded as Halftail prodded his nose against Keen's haunch. "Would you like to practice some battle moves," he challenged as he lowered down and wiggled his haunches playfully.

Keen yipped as enthusiasm surged inside of him. "Yes, please!" He slammed into Halftail gleefully while Halftail pretended to go limp. He then rolled and sunk his claws into Keen's shoulders and thrust him sideways easily. He yelped in pain before he darted to his paws and shook his head madly. He then charged and tried to push his head against Halftail's chest. Halftail held his ground and watched as Keen struggled.

“Take that back!"

Halftail lifted his head as he heard his son's voice. He looked over to Keen and sighed. "I'll be right back," he meowed before he darted in the direction of where he had heard his son’s cry.

He darted into the hallway and stopped when he saw Swifttail facing Lando, hissing and spitting at him. "You take that back," demanded Swifttail.

“Swifttail," yowled Halftail as he darted toward his son. "What's wrong?"

Swifttail turned to look at his father with distress in his blue gaze. He then pointed a shaky paw up at the picture of Bine. "He said that she doesn't deserve to be up there," he spat.

That made the fur along Halftail's spine stand on end. "And why would you think that, Lando?" He slid out his claws and bunched his muscles.

Lando raised his hands in defeat. "I just wanted to know why you would ever put a dead member of your team on the wall. She couldn't have been that important."

Halftail's eyes flashed. "She was my mate!"

“And my mother," added Swifttail as he pressed against his father, spiting in rage. "She was extremely important!"

Lando rolled his eyes. "I don't understand why she's up like this. I'm sure you've lost other members."

Swifttail looked like he was going to explode so Halftail stepped in front of him before he could launch himself at Lando. "Enough! Just move on and don't you ever say anything disrespectful about my mate again."

Lando didn't look like he really cared as he passed Halftail. He pushed against Halftail as he passed and Halftail stumbled into Swifttail. Swifttail propped him up and narrowed his eyes at Lando. "If he says anything about Mother I'll kill him."

“Calm down," chided Halftail as he rested his tail across his son's shoulders. "Let's just stay away from him and see how that works."

Swifttail snorted in distain before reluctantly nodding. "Fine. I'm going to see Bine," he growled as he stomped forward. 

Halftail shook his head as he followed his son. He saw Swifttail touch his nose to Adlerleaf's ear once they emerged into the hanger. He whispered something softly in her ear before the two turned away a bit and strode to the edge of the hanger. 

“You okay," asked Bluefeather as she flew up to him, landing almost over him. She plastered her wings against her flank, sitting down beside him. "You look like someone stole your heart."

Halftail sighed heavily, shaking his head slowly, whiskers drooping. "Lando said some hurtful things about Bine," he confessed as his eyes glazed over. "My mate. Swifttail and I didn't take it so well."

Bluefeather frowned in alarm, reaching over to touch her nose to Halftail's ear. "I'm so sorry. I know how much Bine meant to you. Don't listen to Lando. You can smell the trickery on him."

Halftail could agree with that. "So how are you and Molis getting along?" He watched as Keen and Molis practiced battle moves in the center of the hanger after Halftail had to leave to deal with Swifttail. 

Bluefeather blushed. "How are we getting along? P-Pretty well," she stammered as she played with her paws in front of her.

“What aren't you telling me, Bluefeather," pressed Halftail as he nudged her playfully.

Bluefeather lowered her head and plastered her ears against her head. "You can't tell anyone, but he asked me to be his mate," whispered Bluefeather in Halftail's ear.

Halftail nearly leaped from the ground. "That's great! What did you say?"

Bluefeather drew back and rolled her eyes. "Of course I said yes. I love him. I haven't told anyone except you, not even Keen. You can't tell him yet."

“He deserves to know," argued Halftail as he looked at the young pup being pinned by one of Molis's large paws on his chest. "You have to tell him!"

Bluefeather growled softly. "I will, eventually. For right now we have better things to do," she pointed out as she trod away, her tail lashing a bit behind her.

Halftail sighed as he closed his eyes. He hoped that Lando wouldn't be on the ship for much longer.


	60. Precious Cargo

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> When Lando brings another guest onto the Ghost it can only mean bad things.

Halftail was laying on the bottom of the hanger, head rested on his paws as he tried to calm his frayed nerves. He faintly heard Molis and Keen fighting a couple tail-lengths in front of him, but he didn't open his eyes, at least not until the scent of Lando made him lift his head. He growled lowly as Lando stood right in front of him, obstructing his view.

“This is the spot," he announced as he placed his hands on his hips. 

Halftail rose to his paws and pushed past Lando. "Spot for what? If this is something dangerous then-"

“Don't fret, cat with only half of his tail. This is only going to take a second," he assured as he looked to Hera. "I'll just need you to accompany me and do exactly as I say."

“That sounds risky," meowed Adlerleaf as her whiskers twitched in muted hostility. She looked up to Hera and her ears flattened against her head. "Are you sure you want to do this, Hera?"

Hera smiled as she lowered down and scratched Adlerleaf under her chin. "It's alright, Adlerleaf. I know what I'm doing. This slick scoundrel isn't going to slow me down."

Adlerleaf felt a bit better as Hera scrambled down the ladder and past Kanan with Lando leading. They went over to the loading area while Kanan came over to Halftail. "Would you like to come with us?"

Halftail sighed. "I suppose so." He rose to his paws and stretched out, front paws scraping against the ground. "Do you know where we are going?"

“To pick up cargo and that's all I know," confessed Kanan as he walked behind Hera and Lando. "I just hope that he's not leading us into any trouble."

Halftail snorted in amusement. "Have you met him? His middle name is trouble!"

Kanan chuckled in agreement before a space lock opened in front of them and they stepped through. Reek made Halftail's nose wrinkle in disgust. He was tempted to dart back to the Ghost, but he forced himself forward. He stayed close to Kanan as he heard the grumbling and burping of someone eating. 

“What is that smell," muttered Kanan, speaking what Halftail was thinking.

Lando said nothing as they kept walking until they stopped in front of what Halftail thought was a giant potbellied creature that Halftail hadn't seen before, nor did he want to see ever again. The creature was eating some fancy fruit that Halftail had never been able to afford, nor had he ever wanted to. Most of the juice was just seeping down the creature's face and it made Halftail want to look away in disgust.

“Lando," the creature gurgled through a mouthful of something. "I bet you're here for what we discussed."

Lando nodded. "I am. Do you have it?"

The creature nodded as he slurped a strong of liquid that threatened to drip from his lips. "Yes, but what do you have for me in return?"

Lando suddenly grabbed Hera and shoved her forward. "I have her for you."

“What," Kanan and Halftail gasped in unison. Halftail was about to surge forward, but Kanan blocked his path. Halftail let out a growl of saturation, looking back to Kanan as if he was crazy.

Lando reached out a hand. "I'll trade her services for my cargo. Now hand it over."

The creature smiled before he slurped again. "Very well. Give him the crate," ordered the creature as someone who looked like a solider handed Lando a crate. Lando took it gratefully and the scent of animal grazed Halftail's nose, making him grimace.

Lando turned to leave, but Halftail stood in shock. "We can't leave," he hissed as he turned to look at Hera. Hera had been Bine's companion so it almost felt like he was leaving Bine behind. "We can't leave Hera!"

Kanan seemed reluctant as well, but Halftail saw him motion him forward. "Come on, Halftail. We have to go and trust Lando," he whispered so lowly that Halftail with his cat senses was the only one that could hear him.

Halftail's fur stood on end along his spine. "I have to trust Lando," parroted Halftail under his breath as he stomped after the two, trying not to say anything else. They strode off of his ship and Zeb was there to meet them.

He looked around in surprise. "Where's Hera?"

Halftail looked up, his lip curling. "You're going to ask the one who kept saying that he had everything under control," he growled as he pushed past Sabine and Zeb and toward the sound of Keen's excited yipping. 

He bounded through and once Keen saw Halftail, his eyes widened. "Halftail! Can we finish battle training now?"

Halftail chuckled in amusement before he sprang forward. He needed something to keep his mind off of Hera. This was as good as any distraction. "Of course. Let's fight like real wolves!" He reared on his hind legs and pushed his front paws down on Keen's shoulders.. Keen wrenched himself from Halftail's grip, leaping sideways to sink his teeth into Halftail's shoulder, throwing him sideways, using his weight to his advantage.

Halftail landed on his stomach with the air knocked out of him. "Where did you learn that," he sputtered, more stalling than actually caring.

Keen puffed out his chest in pride. "Molis! He said that if I'm going to be a canine I should fight like a canine," he barked proudly.

Halftail's eyes glowed before he rose to his paws, struggling to breath. He felt blood threatening to bubble from his throat, but he tried to suppress it. He sprang forward and thrust his head against Keen's chest, knocking him backwards. Keen fell on his back, Halftail rushing to sunk his teeth into Keen's scruff and thrust him aside easily.

Keen landed heavily. He raised a paw and blood shone on his paws. "You didn't cut me. Did I cut you," gasped Keen as his eyes rounded in concern. 

Halftail opened his mouth to say something, but before he could, blood dripped from his mouth. Keen yelped and leaped backwards, away from Halftail and the blood. "Bluefeather! Molis! Adlerleaf! Swifttail! Birchfoot!"

Molis was the closest and he came bounding down from the hallway. Halftail suddenly collapsed into a coughing fit as more blood flowed from his open mouth. "I'm fine. It was just a pocket of blood in my chest. It's fine," he assured as Keen was shook madly in terror beside him. He hadn't seen Halftail like this before.

Molis strode over to Keen and forced him to look away as Swifttail and Adlerleaf darted over to him. "Take him to Birchfoot," ordered Molis as he steered Keen over to Bluefeather. "I'll try and calm him down."

Halftail leaned against his son and Adlerleaf as they half led, half carried him down the hallway to Birchfoot's room."What happened, Halftail," asked Adlerleaf, trying to avoid the blood that kept dripping from his mouth.

Halftail shook his head slowly. "We were just fighting and and I got the breath knocked out of me. It wasn't claws or anything. I'm not sure," rasped Halftail as he felt more blood fighting it's way up his throat.

Swifttail stopped at the entrance to Birchfoot's room while Adlerleaf took a step back, mewing soothingly in Halftail’s ear. Swifttail and Halftail forced their ways in. Birchfoot turned to look at them when he heard them approach. "What have you managed to do now, Halftail?"

Halftail rolled his eyes. "I don't know. I'm not always injured," he muttered as Swifttail helped him into a nest of torn clothes and towels. 

Birchfoot leaned down and rested his head against Halftail's chest, listening for his strained breath. "Have you been taking your medication twice a day like I said," he inquired. 

Halftail lashed his tail. "Yes, I promised you I would! Keen and I were just play fighting. It was an accident," he assured as he rubbed a paw against his mouth to try and stop the blood from oozing out.

Birchfoot didn’t seem convinced. "This has happened before and as long as you can still breathe I'm not that concerned. Take your medication three times a day for a while and I'll give you some herbs to hopefully dry up the remaining blood in your lungs. It's good though that it's coming out now and like this before your lungs fill up totally."

Halftail dipped his head while Birchfoot told Swifttail to grab some herbs that Halftail didn't even know what they did. Swifttail dropped them in front of his father and Halftail reluctantly lapped them up, swallowing them quickly, along with mouthfuls of blood. Once he had finished, Birchfoot rested his tail across Halftail's shoulders. "How do you feel?"

“Better already," lied Halftail as he puffed out his chest, which was flecked red with dried blood. "Can I please go back to training with Keen? I promised him I would and it's been moons since we have without an interruption."

“I think you've scarred him enough," meowed Swifttail as he blinked his eyes slowly. "But a walk may do you good. How about if I walk with him, Birchfoot?"

Birchfoot thought for a heartbeat before nodding. “Alright, as long as you don't overexert yourself, either of you. I don't need more things to fix when I'm already low on herbs."

Swifttail chuckled as he helped Halftail to his paws. Halftail forced himself forward and out of Birchfoot's room with Swifttail right behind. "Thanks," whispered Halftail in his son's ear. "I certainly didn't want to spend anymore time laying down than I have to. It reminds me too much of my younger days."

Swifttail beamed. "No problem! I knew that you probably would want to get out."

Halftail was about to say something else when he heard a squeak, or maybe it was a squeal. "What in StarBound’s name was that," he muttered as he sniffed the air.

Swifttail kept close to him. "I have no idea, but I have an idea on how to find out." 

They strode past the cockpit and Halftail saw a small pig-like creature running around. Zeb lowered down. and once the pig saw his face, the pig ran squealing in terror. She suddenly blew up and became caught between the walls of the ship. She had blocked off the cockpit from the rest of the ship. 

Halftail’s eyes widened in shock. “What?!”

Swifttail bounded forward and pressed an ear against the pig. "Adlerleaf? Are you okay?"

Swifttail took a step back and concern showed on his face. "I'm alright," Adlerleaf called from the other side as she tried to look around the pig but couldn't. "Are you okay?"

Swifttail nodded before he realized that Adlerleaf couldn't see him. "Yeah, we're good, but what the heck is this and why am I staring at it's face?" 

“Would you rather have the butt," chimed in Adlerleaf as she looked to Lando. "What is this and why is it on our ship?!"

Swifttail didn't hear the answer as Kanan came toward them. "What is-" He trailed off as he saw the pig.

Ezra chuckled and pointed to the pig. "The pig-"

“I don't want to know," Kanan reported as he turned and strode back toward cockpit.

Halftail watched him go before he turned to Swifttail. "I better help. Bluefeather and Hera aren't here to help with flying the ship so I guess it's on Kanan and I." Swifttail dipped his head before Halftail darted forward and tried to relax his strained lungs. 

“Do you have everything under control," asked Swifttail as he came up from behind Halftail as he stared at Kanan.

Kanan looked back with wide eyes. "I'm not so sure. I'm usually not the one flying the ship," he explained as he looked at all of the controls.

Halftail hopped up beside him. "I can do my best to help, but I'm not much into this either," he meowed as he began pressing some buttons that Halftail had seen Bluefeather pressing. 

He heard the ship seem to rock under him and Halftail wondered if he had pressed something that he wasn't supposed to. "Oops," he meowed as a loud sound rang through his ears. He pushed another button and beamed as he realized that he may have actually done something good. "Now that should be okay." 

Kanan sighed as he set the controls again. "I just hope that that pig deflates or something because this is really where Hera and Bluefeather should be."

“Did you fly when you were a Jedi," inquired Swifttail as he tilted his head.

Kanan chuckled as he looked back at Swifttail. "My Master enjoyed flying, so I didn't get a lot of training in that. I heard Halftail flunked out of pilot training?"

Swifttail laughed before Halftail turned and lashed his tail in frustration. "I did not! I just didn't do the best in that class, but I didn't flunk," he growled as he pointed his muzzle at Kanan.

Kanan rolled his eyes and they went on for a while until they approached an Imperial blockade. Kanan switched to stealth mode. Halftail held his breath as Kanan announced what they were carrying to the Imperial ship. They began to let them pass, but Halftail heard shuffling behind him. 

“What's going on," he asked as he saw Ezra trying to climb over the pig. 

Suddenly the pig seemed to wake up and puff out even more. It squished Ezra against the roof before it pushed into Zeb. Zeb stumbled backwards and tread on Swifttail’s tail. Swifttail hissed as he sprang forward and plowed into his father. The two stumbled and fell into each other. 

Halftail managed to look up as Zeb fell into the control system and turned off the cloaking device. Halftail nearly fainted as TIE fighters surged forward, ready to obliterate them.


	61. Attack Against Azmorigan

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A space pig, a disgruntled buyer, and a slick new companion; what could go wrong?

“Empire incoming," announced Kanan as he turned to Halftail. "Can you try and do something?”

Halftail pushed Swifttail off of him as he meandered over to Kanan. He leaped onto the copilot's seat, but he had no idea what to do. "What do you want me to do? Stand up and tell them that we surrender?"

Kanan gritted his teeth as he veered sideways as shots came and fired at them. Halftail grabbed the controls on the side and was able to take control of one of the ship's guns. However, to control the major one you had to be back where everyone else was and they weren't there right now. He began firing as best he could while Kanan kept moving the ship so his shots always missed. 

“Can't you keep it a bit still," complained Halftail as he hissed while trying to concentrate.

Kanan's eyes widened as he turned to look at Halftail for a second. "I'm sorry that trying to keep you alive is hindering you shooting at something."

“If I actually got a shot then we wouldn't be trying to keep me alive," he reported as he continued his effort while trying not to curse in every language that he knew. 

Swifttail came from behind, looking sick at seeing them dodge so many TIEs. "I'm not sure if this helps, but there is a planet right there," he meowed as he pointed a paw toward it.

“That's going to have to be our destination," muttered Kanan as they dove downward.

Halftail managed to make a single hit with against one of the TIEs and it exploded. He let out a silent cheer before he continued. "One down, a lot more to go."

Suddenly, he realized that someone was manning the main gun. He purred in sheer delight as they hit another TIE. He turned his head for a heartbeat, but the pig was still too large and was blocking his view. When they were safe, he was going to deflate that pig himself if he had to. He wasn't sure how, but he was sure that he could make her deflate with a couple of claw scratches to the face.

They entered the planet's atmosphere and Halftail was pleased that whoever was in the back had defeated most of the TIEs. The pig finally decided to deflate and Halftail let out a sigh of relief as Bluefeather darted forward and began to take control of the Ghost. She landed it smoothly and looked over to Kanan.

“I nearly threw up with your flying," she taunted, amusement glittering in her eyes.

Kanan stretched out a hand and scratched Bluefeather between the ears. "It's good to have you back, Bluefeather," he murmured with a smile on his face.

Bluefeather rumbled before she leaped down and rubbed her muzzle between Halftail's shoulders. "You should be glad you didn't have to listen to Lando's yammering. All that nice stuff he's saying to Hera and Sabine is a little nauseating.”

“So that's why Ezra climbed over the pig," meowed Swifttail thoughtfully, striding forward to touch his nose to Adlerleaf's ear affectionately, dodging the pig expertly.

Birchfoot limped forward, looking up as Kanan opened the hanger door. "Do you think that I could come with you guys and stretch my legs? I feel like I've been on the ship for too long."

Halftail purred as he touched his nose to Birchfoot's cheek. "Of course! Just stay close to me. I don't trust Lando and I certainly don't need anyone lashing out at you."

Birchfoot smiled as he limped forward with Halftail helping him with a shoulder against his side. Halftail lowered Birchfoot down into the hanger before he leaped after him. Birchfoot panted as he walked, Halftail pressed against him so that he could lean on him. "Are you sure that you're alright to walk. You don't sound so great."

Birchfoot narrowed his eyes. "It's because I haven't gotten any fresh air," he answered as he coughed heavily, wheezing in the aftermath. "I'm tired of being cooped up and surrounded by those dusty herbs."

“Well, then I hope this is good for you," meowed Halftail as he licked Birchfoot's ear gently. Because we can't afford to have our healer fall ill, Halftail thought.

Halftail stopped suddenly as the man that Lando called Azmorigan stepped forward. "Hello, Calrizian," he chuckled with saliva dripping from his mouth, making Halftail cringe.

“Azmorigan, how did you get here? Did you walk," inquired Lando in disbelief.

Azmorigan slurped once more, retracting a string of saliva. Birchfoot wrinkled his nose in disgust. "Desperate times. I will do anything to get back what is mine." 

He pointed to his men and they pointed their blasters at the Ghost crew. Halftail bunched his muscles while Birchfoot closed his eyes in terror. He wasn't a fighter and this wasn't the nice stroll in the fresh air that he had been hoping for. 

“Hand over Lando and we won’t need anything bad to happen," Azmorigan muttered as he pointed his small blaster at Lando.

“Okay," Kanan and Ezra told Azmorigan in unison. 

Hera narrowed her eyes. "We're not doing that," she told them while Kanan and Ezra looked like they wanted to argue. They thought better of it since they knew Hera had to have a plan.

Hera nodded to Halftail and Swifttail curtly. They both began to stalk forward, paws gingerly touching the ground. To Halftail's surprise, Birchfoot hopped forward next to him.

“What are you doing," hissed Halftail into Birchfoot's ear.

Birchfoot turned his head and flicked his ears. "I'm not useless! Let me at least help with this, please, Halftail," begged Birchfoot with round eyes.

Halftail bit his tongue, reluctantly nodding. “Alright, but stick close. Adlerleaf will kill me if something happens to you like this," he muttered as he cautiously stalked toward the men as his claws slid out threateningly. 

Swifttail lunged first for one of the soldiers, but the man was ready. He turned and shot in Swifttail’s direction. The blast landed right in front of Swifttail's paw, sending him recoiling backwards, landing heavily on his haunch. Halftail snarled as he used the force to tug the blaster from the man's hands. He then used his weight to thrust the man to the ground easily. 

Birchfoot jumped forward, sliding a bit on shaky paws. Excitement lit in his eyes as he sunk his teeth in the man's neck, feeling the pulse of blood between his teeth. Once Halftail was sure the man wouldn’t be getting up, he nudged Birchfoot's chest, forcing him to reluctantly let go of the man's throat.

“I think he's dead, Birchfoot," meowed Swifttail as he wove around his mentor affectionately. "But A for effort and passion."

Birchfoot licked the blood from his lips, worry showing in his eyes. There wasn't time for Halftail and Birchfoot to talk about what had happened. They would need to wait for a better time to do so. 

Halftail suddenly veered forward as more men showed up, flanking one another with weapons drawn. Swifttail pushed Birchfoot's haunch and they darted behind a box as more blasterfire showered behind them. 

Halftail skidded behind the same crate that Kanan, Ezra, and Keen were behind. "Lando is causing more trouble than he's worth," grumbled Halftail under his breath.

“Agreed," all three agreed in unison. Halftail was glad it wasn't just him.

Zeb’s head popped up from another crate as he looked over to Kanan. "What should we do?"

Before he could answer, a squeal sounded The pig suddenly got scared by blasterfire and darted over to Zeb. Hera's eyes widened and she smiled. "Zeb scare her," she called as she cupped her hand around her mouth.

Zeb tilted his head. "How?" Molis stood beside him, bracing Bluefeather against him so that she wasn't in the line of fire. Even in the heat of battle their love shown through.

“Just be you," answered Hera surely.

Zeb lowered onto all fours and thrust his face toward the pig's. "Hey. Hey!" He screeched as he opened his mouth and even growled. The pig squealed and turned, puffing and rolling toward the men.

“Keen, around," ordered Halftail. 

Keen nodded. 

Halftail darted forward while Keen took to the air. They flanked either side of Azmorigan. Halftail went for his legs while Keen slammed into his chest and knocked him off of his feet. He fell harshly on his back and rocked a bit since he couldn't get up on his own.

“Stop. Stop!" Azmorigan wailed and all the fighting suddenly ceased. 

Halftail strode forward and extended his claws. He hissed as he pressed them against Azmorigan's throat. He sucked in a fearful breath and Halftail tried not to pass out from his breath. "All debts are payed, understood?"

Azmorigan gulped before he finally spat in anger. "Fine. Just help me up."

Halftail nodded to Keen, retracting his claws and padding away from Azmorigan. Keen reluctantly pushed Azmorigan to his feet before he landed beside Halftail, puffing out his chest in pride. It wasn't the most dangerous mission, but it was still a mission never less.

“Good job," praised Halftail as he looked at his son and Keen. "It doesn't matter how big the mission. They're all important."

“Yes, Halftail," they both chorused with dips of their head. 

Halftail waved his tail dismissively. "Now, lets go. I don't think that we need to stay on this planet any longer than we need to," he grunted as he scratched at some dust off his chest.

The two bounded forward and into the Ghost, letting out playful barks and hisses. Halftail halted, looking around to make sure that Birchfoot was alright. He was leaning heavily on his sister. Halftail darted to his other side to support him. 

“You did good," Halftail whispered in his ear proudly.

Birchfoot huffed under his breath. "You're just saying that. You took him down. All I did was sink my teeth into his neck," he muttered.

Adlerleaf's eyes rounded like white moons. "You did what?!"

“We'll talk about it later," Halftail told her curtly before nearly picking up Birchfoot by the scruff. He looked exhausted and numb after what he did. 

Adlerleaf seemed to sense that something was wrong, but she reluctantly held back, her head lowered in her shoulders. Halftail had led, half dragged Birchfoot into the Ghost. He heard others begin to talk about their victory in jubilee, but right now he had to help out a friend. 

He pulled Birchfoot up to his room with some effort strain. Although, he didn't let Birchfoot see how much it was effecting him. He closed the door and locked it behind him to give them some privacy. He sat in front of Birchfoot, trying to force the healer to look at him. 

“What's wrong, Birchfoot? Anyone can see that you've been tenser than usual and you've even snapped at Swifttail more than usual. Swifttail may have an attitude sometimes, but never with you. So tell me, please," pleaded Halftail in a gentle voice.

Birchfoot bit his tongue. "You know that Sorrel and I were very er close."

Halftail remembered Sorrel with a pang. She had died moons ago, but Halftail had known how close Birchfoot and Sorrel had become. If she had lived a bit longer they would have probably become mates.

“Yes I do know that you were close. I'm so sorry that there was nothing that I could do to protect her," meowed Halftail as his eyes flashed in remembrance. 

Birchfoot let out a growl. "It's my fault that she died. I should have been able to save her! I'm the healer!"

Halftail stretched out his neck and touched his nose against Birchfoot's ear. "It wasn't your fault that she died. Why is this bothering you now?" It had been moons since her death. Birchfoot should’ve grieved for her long before now. 

Birchfoot hung his head, his tail drooping. "Because today is the anniversary of her death. I thought that I was going to see her in my dream today and I haven't. Not even once," he sighed as his whiskers hung. “I look for her every time I close my eyes and I can never find her or even a fleeting memory of her. I see nothing.”

Halftail suddenly felt lucky. He had seen Bine numerous times in his dreams. Come to think of it, he had never seen Sorrel in his dreams either. They hadn't been exactly close, but he still expected to see her. 

“I'm sure that you'll see her one day and then you'll be able to be mates and be able to live out your lives forever," promised Halftail as he kinked his tail over his back. 

Birchfoot shrugged. "I don't know about that. Halftail, do you think that you could stay in my room tonight with me? I don't really want to sleep by myself tonight since I think Swifttail is sleeping with Adlerleaf.”

Halftail smiled before nodding. "No problem, Birchfoot." He lowered down in Birchfoot's nest made up of blankets and other clothing. It was easier for him to sleep in there than jump onto a bed. 

Halftail walked in a few circles before curling into a tight ball. Birchfoot laid beside him and rested his head on Halftail's shoulder. It wasn't long before he fell into a restless sleep, chest rising and falling slowly. 

The door suddenly opened and light shinned in. Halftail growled before he realized it was Kanan. He lowered down and smiled at Halftail. "Are you that tired or injured that much that you had to sleep here?"

Halftail shook his head slowly, careful not to disturb Birchfoot. “No. Birchfoot just wanted me to stay here for the night. He's having a bit of a hard night," he answered as he licked a paw and drew it over his ear. 

Kanan stroked Halftail between the ears. "Alright. Have a good night."

Halftail yawned farewell before drifting off into a thankless sleep.


	62. Lightsaber Mishap

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> When training goes awry, there will be consequences.

Halftail scooped up a rock in his paws and threw it at Keen. Keen raised his lightsaber, gripping it expertly in his wings. However, the rock just ended up hitting him between the ears.

Keen swore under his breath, shaking his head, seeing stars. "You okay," whispered Swifttail as he flicked his tail against Keen's ear.

Keen sighed heavily. "Sorry. I'm just not that focused today."

Swifttail deactivated his lightsaber and pressed against Keen. Keen was growing quickly, and soon he would be much larger than Swifttail, but until then, Swifttail would continue to allow him to lean on his shoulder. Ever since they had gone to their 'Jedi Retreat' Swifttail had been extremely kind to everyone, especially Keen. They actually started to act like brothers.

“What's wrong? Ezra seems to be having the same problem," pointed out Swifttail as he pointed his tail to Ezra and Kanan. Ezra fell backwards as Kanan hit him on his helmet. 

Keen shrugged, shoulders rippling. "I don't know about Ezra, but I'm looking forward to Senator Gall Trayvis's message," he announced as he turned his muzzle proudly upward.

Halftail was about to say something, but Swifttail beat him to it. "I know that it's exciting, but it's good to keep your head in the present. Can you try for me?"

Keen's eyes glowed. "Okay! Let's try again."

Halftail was surprised at how Swifttail could handle Keen when he wanted to. He would make an excellent father one day.

Halftail shook his head to clear it. Swifttail should never be a father because he knew what might happen. But he also knew that Swifttail wouldn't listen to him and he was pretty sure he knew what was going to happen. It wasn't his fault that Swifttail wouldn't listen to his warning, right?

“Let's go again, Dad," called Swifttail as he activated his lightsaber once more. He stood in his hind legs and wrapped his paws around his lightsaber surely. He seemed so confident although he had just built his lightsaber a few moons ago.

Halftail nodded calmly. “Try slicing this time and try not to deflect anything toward Ezra. They're working on something else," he called as he tossed another rock at Swifttail.

Swifttail took a step and easily sliced it in half with a flick of his lightsaber. His paws weren't on the ground surely, making him easy to knock over, but Halftail would address that later. He tossed another rock over to Keen. Keen turned his wing and easily sliced it just as Swifttail had. His chest puffed out in pride and Halftail couldn't help but purr. 

“How about we try closing your eyes. That should make things a little more difficult," suggested Halftail as he took out a blaster. He set it to a light stun that would just jolt them as if they hit their paw against a wall.

Swifttail closed his eyes first so Halftail aimed at his chest. Swifttail went to deflect it, but his just missed and it hit his chest. He yelped in shock, stumbling backwards. He shook his head in the aftermath, growling slightly. He opened his eyes and took in a labored breath before he repositioned his stance.

“That's alright," called Halftail as he readied to fire at Keen. "Just try again. Concentrate and use the force to feel where the shot is coming."

He fired at Keen and it ended up hitting his wing. The stun shocked him and he dropped his lightsaber in surprise. His lightsaber sliced through his muzzle when he dropped it, sending him gasping in agony. When his lightsaber hit the ground, it deactivated, but there was still a major burn on Keen's muzzle.

Keen collapsed, his paws flicking painfully over his muzzle. Swifttail deactivated his lightsaber and lowered beside his friend in alarm. “Dad! Help!"

Halftail was already darting forward. He lowered beside Keen and lifted his paws from his muzzle. Keen groaned, tears falling from his eyes. The only thing good about a lightsaber cut was that it's clean and doesn't bleed. That didn’t mean it doesn't hurt; Halftail would know. 

“Adlerleaf," Halftail wailed from where she stood beside Sabine. The she-cat looked up with twitching whiskers. "Tell Birchfoot to ready his herbs. Keen has been burned."

She turned swiftly and darted before Ezra and Kanan came over. Ezra's eyes rounded and he looked like he was going to vomit. Kanan picked up Keen easily and darted back to the Ghost. Swifttail and Halftail surged after him, and to Hafltail's relief, Birchfoot was ready with a bundle of herbs clamped firmly in his jaws. 

“Set him down gently and let me look," Birchfoot ordered as he flicked a paw in front of him.

Kanan set Keen down while Birchfoot turned his face a bit to get a better look at the wound. Keen growled in pain, lips peeled back, lifting a paw to claw at his face. Swifttail and Halftail thrust his paws down so that he couldn't scratch at his face. 

When Birchfoot saw the burn, he shook his head gravely. "It's a clean cut, but he'll have this for the rest of his life. I can help with the pain, but that's about all that I can do."

“Keen," Bluefeather suddenly wailed as she leaped down and went to dart to Keen's side.

Kanan and Sabine blocked her path. "You can't go to him right now. He's in a lot of pain and your fear will just make it worse," murmured Sabine gently. 

Bluefeather shook her head as she tried to see Keen. "What happened? Is he going to be alright?"

“It's just a lightsaber burn," answered Kanan. "I'm sure that he'll be fine."

Bluefeather's mouth gaped open in shock. "Just a lightsaber burn?! Look what happened to Halftail. Don't you know why he's called Halftail!"

At the mention of his name, Halftail lifted his head. "It was on his face, not his tail, Bluefeather. It's not that deep."

“He'll be scarred forever," cried Bluefeather before Molis tried to comfort her by allowing her to shove her muzzle into his neck. 

Birchfoot began to chew a paste, spitting it on his paws, and rubbing it onto Keen's muzzle. Keen woke up slightly, blinking open his eyes. "Birchfoot," he rasped. "That hurts."

Birchfoot's voice was surprisingly gentle as he spoke to Keen. "I know, little one. You had a little bit of an accident, but you'll be alright. Just try and lay still while I cover it, okay?"

Keen nodded. "Did I miss the message? I don't want to miss the message!"

Halftail looked up to Kanan. "You and Ezra go and continue training. Could you take Swifttail and when it's time for the message I'll come and get you?" 

Kanan gave Halftail a thumbs up, place his other hand on Ezra's shoulder. "Come on. Swifttail, you too."

Swifttail reluctantly left Keen's side, head bowed. Kanan nearly had to pry Ezra from Keen's side. They strode out of the hanger and once it was a bit quieter, Molis allowed Bluefeather to see Keen. 

She lowered down and touched her nose gingerly to his ear. "Your face! You're handsome face," she whimpered as her voice sounded far away.

“He's still handsome," declared Birchfoot as he narrowed his eyes at Bluefeather. "The most important thing is that the burn isn't deep and there's no damage to his muzzle or mouth that will make it impossible to eat or speak.”

Keen blinked his eyes up at Halftail. "How bad is it?"

Halftail turned his tail so that Keen could see it. "Do you see how clean it can slice through?"

Keen lifted his head and peered close, eyes narrowed in scrutiny. "I think so. But yours is rounded. Mine won't be like that, right?"

Halftail shook his head. "No. It'll be red and fur won't grow there, but you'll still be a handsome wolf when you get older," he assured as he licked Keen between the ears affectionately.

Keen rumbled in appreciation, lifting his head to touch his nose to Halftail's chin. "Do you think that my mother and father will still like me when they see me like this,” he whispered, eyes round in concern. 

A growl rolled in Halftail's throat. "Of course they will! They'd love you no matter if you had three eyes or ten tails," he joked warmly as he licked Keen's cheek.

Adlerleaf drew forward suddenly and lifted her tail excitedly. "It's time for the Senator's message," she announced proudly. "Come on!"

Halftail smiled, his paws tingling in excitement. "You guys go ahead. I'll be right there. I just need to get Ezra, Kanan, and Swifttail," he meowed as he lumbered toward the open hanger.

He saw that the helmet that Ezra wore had been hit, but he wasn't sure by who or how. "It's time," he called as he kinked his tail over his back. "Hurry or you'll miss it!"

Ezra exchanged a glance with Kanan before they bounded in. They all surged up to the main room and Halftail was pleased to see that Keen was there. He had green chewed up leaves oozing out from under a bandage across his muzzle. "I wonder what he's going to talk about today?" 

“I'm not sure," confessed Bluefeather as she sat beside him, not wanting him to leave her sight. "But you're going to have to listen to find out."

Keen shut his muzzle, eyes glittering in mischief, while the rest of them clustered around the table. Kanan turned on the signal and they all listened to it intently. However, after he was finished, Keen hung his head and shook it. "I don't understand what he wants us to do. Halftail, do you know?"

That was a heavy question and one that Halftail himself didn't know. He turned and looked to Sabine. "Can you pick out a secret transmission?"

Sabine nodded thoughtfully as she listened to it again. "He's telling us to meet on Lothal. All rebels should come there!"

It didn't take Ezra long to tell them that they wanted to meet at the Old Republic Senate Building. Halftail had to give them credit. He couldn't have been able to pick it out without certainly losing his mind. Clearly he was loosing his touch.

“Great work," purred Halftail as his whiskers twitched thoughtfully. “But what about the Empire. They certainly heard the same message we did.”

Ezra rolled his eyes. "It's Lothal talk! The Empire is too stupid to understand it," he scoffed.

Kanan didn't seem so sure. He murmured darkly under his breath before speaking out loud for the rest of them to hear. "Don't underestimate the Empire. They are more clever than we know."

“We can't just not go," argued Adlerleaf from where she sat beside Swifttail. Her tail tip flicked in hostility. "If Senator Trayvis is telling us to do something, we should do it. Especially if there might be other rebels who are meeting there."

Halftail looked up to Kanan, but the former Jedi didn't seem to have an answer. He decided to step up and start being more of a leader. He had spent too long waiting to be told what to do. He needed to prove he could just as much in charge as Kanan. "I agree with Adlerleaf and Kanan. We have to go, but we can't think that the Empire won't come either. The Empire isn't as stupid as we once thought."

Ezra turned his face away and puffed out of his cheeks. "I had a vision."

“A vision," echoed Birchfoot a bit in awe. Usually Padawans didn't receive visions, at least not ones like this. Healers also were the ones to receive visions. Why would Ezra receive a vision and not Kanan, Halftail, or even Birchfoot? 

Ezra nodded as he looked back up to them, keeping his eyes fixed on Hera. "I saw the Empire taking Senator Trayvis. There were Stormtroopers and we have to make sure that doesn't happen."

Keen tilted his head. "Isn't the whole point of a vision for it to come true?"

Bluefeather curled her wing protectively around Keen and held him close. "This all seems rather sketchy to me. I think that we should proceed carefully." 

Halftail sighed, knowing that coming up with a plan that everyone would agree on would be challenging at best. He strode over to Kanan before flicking his tail tip. "Kanan, may I speak with you? In private?"

Kanan seemed a bit taken aback, but he nodded in understanding. "Sure, Halftail. Let's go to our room."

He excused himself quickly to the rest of the group. The two of them strode to their room quietly, closing the door behind them. Halftail turned on the light, taking a seat on the floor. "We have to decide what we're going to do about Senator Trayvis."

Kanan seemed a bit taken off guard by Halftail’s direct comment. "No small talk first, huh.” He cleared his throat as he worked his hands up and down his thigh. “I didn't know that it was so up for debate. I thought we were going."

Halftail bit his tongue until he tasted blood. “It sounds like a good idea, but what about the Empire? I thought we agreed that they're dangerous."

Kanan shrugged. "We know more than anyone that they're dangerous. You don't have to come if you don't want to. You can stay here with Bluefeather and Birchfoot."

Halftail swallowed a harsh retort. This wasn’t going the way that he had hoped. 

Halftail wasn’t a coward; far from it actually. However, he didn't want to go right out there and tell Kanan that he didn't want to come. He may not, but he had to protect his crew, his family. Something was wrong and he wasn't sure what. He could just feel it deep within in his bones. "I just have a funny feeling about all this. Don't think that I don't want to listen to the Senator, or that I'm afraid. It's just that-"

“It's alright," assured Kanan as he forced Halftail to look into his eyes. He tilted Halftail’s chin upward with one finger. "Stay here and maybe get some rest or help out Birchfoot. I'll take Swifttail and Keen and watch over them."

Halftail sighed and dipped his head. "Thank you, Kanan. I'm sure that they'll appreciate that. Just make sure that they're safe. Bluefaether would kill all of us if something worse happened to Keen than the lightsaber mishap this morning. And I would never forgive myself if anything happened to Swifttail or Keen." He chuckled a bit although it wasn't funny. "I remember Bine telling me once that I would be the mean parent and she would be the fun one. Now I have to be both."

Kanan looked a bit uncomfortable talking about this, so Halftail stopped himself from talking about it anymore. "Just keep yourself busy and out of trouble."

Halftail flicked his tail tip. "I can't promise anything. I supposed I can help Birchfoot. I may not be a healer like him, but I know a thing or two," he meowed as he followed Kanan out of the room. 

He veered into Birchfoot's room and saw that Birchfoot was just beginning to sort herbs. "Do you need some help?"

Birchfoot turned around, head cocking in surprise. "I thought you were Swifttail." He frowned when he noticed that Halftail wasn't going after Kanan. "You're not going to the rebel meeting?" 

Halftail shook his head, paws working against the ground. "Nah. I thought I'd leave that to Kanan and everyone else. Do you need some help with the herbs?"

Birchfoot smiled and waved his tail to a pile of shriveled up leaves. "Well, these herbs would go faster if four paws were working instead of two.”

That was about the best that Halftail would ever get Birchfoot asking for help. Now this was something that he knew would make a difference in their small rebel lives.


	63. Tricked

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Allies are not always as they seem.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warning: mentions of blood as well as intravenous injections

Halftail helped Birchfoot sort as many herbs as he could. He didn't remember the names of any of them, but he learned how to dispose of any wrinkled or wilted leaves from Birchfoot. Anything that couldn't be used Birchfoot wanted disposed of and not near the other herbs. There were also seeds, berries, and stems to go through as well. Birchfoot chose to do that himself.

“So, when did you know that you wanted to be a healer," wondered Halftail as he pushed the leaves they didn't need to the front of the room with his muzzle. 

Birchfoot seemed a bit taken back by Halftail’s sudden question, giving his ear a flick. "Since I was pretty young. I was born with this bum leg." He nodded a head toward his hind leg and gave a disproving sniff. "But Adlerleaf always told me that I could be a Claw if I wanted.” He noticed Halftail tilt his head in confusion, so he gave some more information. “They’re sort of like hunters and fighters for our pride. They keep the pride fed and protected. Anyway, it just wasn't for me. I can't hunt and I can't fight, at least not well. It wasn't worth me trying. Besides, I always had a knack for memory and being able to save lives fascinated me, especially when my pride was killed off.”

“Your father was killed too, wasn't he," murmured Halftail, sympathy glittering in his gaze.

Birchfoot turned and looked to Halftail, nodding slowly. "Yes, he was. H died saving me from the Empire. He had the same problem with his leg that I did. It didn't stop him, though."'

“What was his name?" Halftail was aware that he may have been asking too many questions, yet he felt like he still didn't know Birchfoot all that well. Maybe this would bring them closer together.

“You're not going to believe this, but his name was Deadfoot,” replied Birchfoot as he rolled some berries over to Halftail. Halftail stopped them gingerly with a claw, careful not to break them open, before he nudged them onto the discarded pile leaves. 

Halftail had to stop himself from laughing. "Really? It must be an honor to be named after him," he meowed thoughtfully. He hadn't known his father that long, but he would have loved to be named after his Master, who had been more of a father to him than anyone else.

“It was. I just hope that he knows. I believe that he's watching me from StarBound. I just haven't seen him in my dreams since I left the streets," he confessed as he arched his back in a massive stretch. He parted his jaws in a yawn, exposing sharp dagger-like teeth. "When I was young I wished that I would see more action. Now, I just want it all to stop." 

Halftail strode over to Birchfoot and pressed against him, resting his shoulder on the other side of his flank, trying to calm him. "I know things are hard right now, but they will get better. We just have to have faith."

“Faith in what," Birchfoot nearly spat.

Halftail only took a heartbeat to answer. "In ourselves."

He suddenly heard a knock at the door. He lifted his head from Birchfoot’s shoulder and realized it was Bluefeather. "Halftail, may I speak with you," she pleaded, her eyes round and unblinking. 

Halftail nodded. He licked Birchfoot's ear in reassurance. “I'll see you later, okay?"

Birchfoot waved his tail dismissively. "Okay. Thanks for the help!"

Halftail was sure that he had been more of a hinderance than a help, but he knew that Birchfoot missed company sometimes, especially when Swifttail was training. "No problem!"

He bounded after Bluefeather, leaving Birchfoot to finish up. It bothered him that he had to look up to see her because of her size, but he had nearly gotten used to it. Wolves were larger than him. That was just a fact of life. "So what do you need, Bluefeather?"

Bluefeather bit her lip anxiously. "I'm sorry for being so rude to you earlier. I just was so concerned about Keen and then I was afraid about his appearance, but that doesn't matter. He’s still the same Keen.”

Why are you apologizing to me, Halftail thought. “It's not a problem. I'm sorry that it happened. I mean there's always a chance for error, but it was an accident," he meowed thoughtfully.

Bluefeather raised her wings against her side. "I know that it was an accident. It's just hard to know that he's going to be scared like that for the rest of his life."

“I don't think it'll bother him," Halftail pointed out. “He's probably just glad that it was no worse."

“I also want to thank you for training Keen as a Jedi. He really enjoys it and he talks everyday about becoming a Jedi," Bluefeather rambled as they strode into the cockpit since they were the only ones in the Ghost. They had to be ready for when the rest of the crew came for a hasty escape. 

Halftail sat in a chair across from Bluefeather and shrugged. "It's no trouble, really. I enjoy training him. He's a quick learner and willing to learn. That is all that I can ask for," purred Halftail.

Bluefeather pawed at the controls expertly, nearly out of instinct.It didn’t take Halftail long to noticed that she didn't turn anything on. "You're also like a father to him. He tells me all the time how much he appreciates you. He would be too embarrassed to tell you, of course.”

Halftail felt honored. There was a time that he never thought he would ever become a father and now he had two young minds that looked up to him. "I'm not trying to tread on your paws, Bluefeather-" 

Bluefeather let out a snort of amusement to cut him off. "Don't be fish-brained! I love how much you, and everyone else, has excepted Keen, Ezra, and I. Besides, if you hadn't, I wouldn't have met Molis." A dreamy look fluttered in her eyes. It was a look that Halftail knew all too well. 

“Are we going to be expecting pups," pressed Halftail, although it was a touchy question.

Bluefeather looked a bit jolted as she glanced over to Halftail. Her paws shuffled as she gave her chest fur a couple embarrassed licks. "I don't know. I don't think that now is the best time, especially with the Empire. It's not fair to bring pups into this."

Halftail knew that was true, but he knew how much joy, and heartache, offspring could bring. He had learned that with Swifttail and even Keen. "Well, if you ever decide to have pups please know that the whole crew will help with anything you need. We're a family and family helps each other." 

Bluefeather reached over and touched her nose to Halftail's ear. “Thank you, Halftail. I owe you more than you will ever know."

Halftail wasn't sure about that but he wasn't about that. He wasn’t sure how much he had actually for the crew beside bring more heartache. 

Suddenly, the comm went off in front of them. Halftail jumped in surprise as leaned down, pressing his paw to answer it. “"Halftail here. Kanan, is everything alright?" 

“We have to make a quick escape. Are you and Bluefeather ready?"

Halftail hid his fear from his voice as he answered. "Yes, we're at the point that we discussed. We'll be ready as soon as you get here," he answered before the comm abruptly shut off.

Halftail and Bluefeather quickly readied themselves just as Birchfoot limped in. "Not to alarm anyone, but there are Stormtroopers incoming." 

Bluefeather swore under her breath as she readied the guns. She fired them at the group of approaching Stormtroopers while thrusting a paw on the control panel to open the hanger door. The crew darted aboard as the Ghost lifted into the air. Hera rushed inside and over to the cockpit, pushing Bluefeather aside as took the controls herself. 

“Lets get out of here," panted Molis as he strode up to the cockpit, his ear shredded from a blaster wound as blood oozed down his face. 

“What happened," inquired Halftail as he strode into the hanger, looking at all of the exhausted members of their team. "Did the Empire show up?"

Zeb let out a laugh of scorn. "They were invited!"

“What," meowed Birchfoot as he dragged himself forward with herbs clamped firmly in his jaws. He lowered down and dropped them at Swifttail's paws. "What do you mean they were invited?"

Swifttail winced as Birchfoot licked at a blaster shot that had sliced his haunch, just missing the muscle and flesh. It had just burned the skin and it would heal quickly, but it would still be a painful recovery. "Senator Trayvis isn't who we thought it was," he answered his mentor. 

“We were set up," agreed Kanan as he looked to Halftail with strain in his eyes. "It was all a trap, a ploy, and we fell right into it."

Halftail's eyes widened a bit as he strode over to Keen and licked him between the ears comfortingly. “At least there are no serious injuries," he pointed out, trying to find a positive.

“But the Empire is onto us, Dad," muttered Swifttail as he squinted his eyes at his father. "They were one step ahead of us and that's all that they need." He slumped down as Birchfoot kept cleaning his wound, whimpering as agony rippled through him.

Halftail strode over to his son, lowering down beside him. Adlerleaf was on his other side, her eyes drawn in worry. The two of them began licking him between the ears in turn in an effort to comfort him. 

“We can't give up," argued Kanan, but he seemed like the only one that wasn't fazed by this.

Sabine rolled her eyes. "We're not, Kanan. We just need some time."

Kanan nodded slowly in agreement. He glanced up, motioning for Halftail to follow him. Halftail gave his son one more nuzzle on the shoulder before he rose to his paws. He knew that Adlerleaf and Birchfoot would take good care of him. He bounded over to Kanan as he climbed the ladder and walked briskly to their room. Halftail struggled to follow as exhaustion pulled on his limbs.

They padded into their room side-by-side. Halftail quickly realized that he hadn't taken another dose of his medication that day. That could be why he was suddenly so on edge. He bounded to his box of medication and opened the top. "You obviously pulled me away for a reason, so spill," Halftail muttered as he grasped a syringe and reluctantly looked at the serum inside. He flicked the tip with his claw, a spurt of liquid falling onto the ground. He reluctantly turned to look up at Kanan. 

Kanan sighed as he pushed his fingers against his temples to ward off an impending headache. He grunted as he walked over to sit on the edge of their bed. "Things are becoming more and more dangerous for us, Halftail."

Halftail flicked his vein as he readied himself for his injection. "We knew that already. Why are you just saying it and recognizing it now?" He jabbed the tip into his vein and injected the serum, hot like fire. For a heartbeat the whole world went black, but as soon as it came on, it was gone. He forced the needle from his arm and watched as a bead of blood bubbled from the vein. He shivered as he pressed his paw against it to try and stop the bleeding. 

“Ezra had a vision," Kanan continued as he pressed a hand against the wall as if he could feel something through the walls.

Halftail limped over to Kanan, avoiding the leg that he had just injected. "So I heard. Was it accurate?" He leaped onto the bed beside Kanan and sunk his claws into the folds of the fabric of the soft covers. 

Kanan shook his head. "Quite the opposite. I'm nervous. He's growing as a Jedi so fast and it seems as if I can't keep up. I'm worried, more than usual."

Halftail stifled a sigh. Saying he was worried about Keen and Swifttail wouldn't make anything better. It would only serve to worry Kanan further. Instead, he rubbed his cheek against Kanan's hand. Kanan ran his hand down Halftail's shoulders and back, fingers running through his thick fur. "You're doing great. You don't have to worry. It was just a step back. Those happen. Give it sometime and we’ll be right back to action.”

Halftail's ears perked upward, but Kanan still looked crestfallen. "Do you think I'm a good Master?"

Bewilderment showed on Halftail’s face. “Of course you are!” He quickly lowered his voice incase someone was listening in on the other side of the door. “It doesn't matter what I think. You were given Ezra through the force. Things happen for a reason."

“I know. That doesn't mean that I can't question it," he argued gruffly.

Halftail chuckled as he lashed his tail once. "I question things everyday. Why did Bine have to die? Why did my kits have to die? Why Bine and not me? The list goes on and on, but eventually you have to stop those questions and move on. Ezra needs you to have a level head."

Kanan blinked his eyes slowly. He grew eerily silent for what felt like moons before answering. "I think it's time to get some rest."

Halftail curled his tail around his paws, nodding slowly in agreement. There was nothing more to talk about tonight. "Okay. Good-night, Kanan," murmured Halftail as he rose to his paws, dragging himself to the edge of the bed. He kneaded at the covers at the foot of the bed until he managed to force them into a comfortable position. He circled a few times before he lowered down, his tail tucked over his nose.

He didn't fall asleep right away. He needed to make sure that Kanan was resting peacefully first. Kanan changed quickly into a new tunic, throwing back the covers and using the force to turn off the light. Halftail listened to his gentle breathing even out before allowing himself to drift off into sleep.


	64. Message of Hope

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hungry bellies make for desperate plans.

“Halftail. Halftail."

Halftail lifted his head and blinked his eyes as he saw that he was no longer on the Ghost. He was in the middle of a beautiful and starry forest. Moonlight shimmed from every part of the small forest, from the dense undergrowth to the thick bushes. He purred as the scent of flowers warmed him while his tail rested against the stump of a nearby tree. He rose to his paws and stretched out.

“Halftail."

He turned his head sharply, gasping when he saw a large blackish creature gliding over the starry forest. Everything the creature passed burned and turned to ash, crumpling into a devastating heap.

Halftail’s blood turned to ice in his veins.

“Halftail!"

Halftail spun to face the other direction and saw Keen standing with eyes wild in alarm. "Halftail, come on!"

Halftail darted forward, his paws barely connecting with the ground as he stumbled in Keen’s direction. He bounded up to Keen's side, giving him a fierce shove. “More!” Keen stumbled sideways, the two trying to outrace the fire and destruction behind them. 

It wasn't long, though, before Keen began to slow. His movements grew tired and sluggish. Halftail turned his head to look over his shoulder. "Come on," he yowled as he felt the ground shaking underneath his paws. "You have to run!"

“I can't," cried Keen as his eyes seemed to roll up in his head. "I can't." He then stumbled once before the creature engulfed him in blackness and fire. Halftail wailed as he saw Keen turn to ash.

“No. No. No. No!" Halftail attempt to pick up his pace, but no matter how far he ran the creature could always move faster. Hafltail grunted as his hind paw suddenly became entangled under a patch of roots. He tried to pull it free to no avail. The creature passed over him, making everything go black. 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Halftail awoke with a jolt, letting out a screech of terror, his claws extended and teeth bared. His fur was fluffed up so that he looked twice his size as his eyes darted around to try and look for trouble. It was dark around him, pressing on him from all direction. His jaws parted, managing to pick out Kanan sleeping at the top of the bed with his lightsaber sitting right beside him in case of danger.

Halftail sighed as he slumped into a sitting position, his claws retracting from where they had dug into the covers. He ended up tearing through them with his blunt claws. He feared it hadn't been the first time and it probably wouldn't be the last either. "What am I going to do with myself," he asked aloud. 

Kanan grunted in his sleep as his feet collided with Halftail's rump. Halftail growled in surprise. Kanan sat up abruptly, rubbing at his eyes. "Halftail, are you alright?" 

Halftail bit his lip, tasting the metallic tang of blood flood his mouth. “I'm sorry if I woke you. It was just a nightmare," he grumbled into his chest fur. He was ashamed to admit that he was still woken up screaming like a kit because of some fish-brained nightmare. 

Kanan sat up straighter and stretched out a hand before he flicked the light switch with a twitch of his wrist. The light burned Halftail's eyes at first, but they adjusted quickly. "It hasn't been the first time this week, has it?" 

Halftail plastered his ears against his head. "Is it that obvious?" He hadn't thought that he was that unfocused, but he didn't know for sure. 

Kanan's shoulders slumped. "A little. You just always seem tired. Or it just means that I know you too well. If you like I might be able to send some calming waves through the force." 

Halftail thought for a heartbeat, quickly deciding to shake his head. "I'm okay. I'm sorry to have woken you. I'll try to go back to sleep." He rose to his shaking paws, thoughtfully curling up into a tight ball. It wasn’t nearly as comfortable as when he first fell asleep. He jammed his eyes closed tightly, yet sleep would not come.

Kanan rolled his eyes at Halftail’s stubbornness. He scooted over so that he nearly touched the wall before he patted the space beside him, more than enough for Halftail to fit in. “Come on up. At least you can be closer to the heater." 

Halftail brightened as he crawled up to Kanan. He curled back up and pressed himself against Kanan's chest, feeling his warmth flood against him. "Thanks, Kanan," he mumbled sleepily.

Kanan chuckled slightly before he rested his head against the pillow. "Tomorrow we're going out to Lothal to steal some supplies. Maybe that will perk you up." 

Halftail wasn't sure about that, but it was a start. He didn't answer Kanan further as he drifted off into a restless sleep.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The next day excitement surged through Halftail as he readied himself for their theft. Alderleaf, Sabine, Kanan, Ezra, Keen and Halftail were chosen so see what they could find of value. 

“Be careful," barked Bluefeather as she stood over Keen, wing rested on his back protectively. “It's getting dark."

Halftail dipped his head. "Don't worry about us. We'll be fine," he assured. He bounded after Kanan with Keen right behind, leaving Bluefeather in his wake.

Halftail boarded Kanan's speeder in a single bound, quickly sinking his claws under the seat since he knew they would be traveling at high speeds. "What are we after?"

“Anything," replied Kanan as he tucked a blaster into his belt. Halftail rolled his eyes as Kanan started the speeder. A rumble sounded below, causing Halftail’s fur to stand on end. The speeder surged forward, wind whipping passing them.

They rode into the center of Lothal and it wasn't long before they found what they were looking for; Imperial supplies that could be sold for fuel and food. Halftail leaped from the speeder, landing gingerly. With Adlerleaf’s and Keen's help they were able to hook some of the supplies to their speeders for easy transport. 

“Fulcrum gave us some good intel this time," purred Adlerleaf warmly as she hooked the supplies to the back of Sabine's speeder, making sure that it was secure.

Keen gave a small nod as he hooked his own to Ezra's. "It doesn't bother anyone that we've never met him? What if he works for the Empire?"

“I doubt it," grunted Halftail as he struggled to clip the supplies to Kanan's speeder since his paws kept shaking. He wasn't sure why he was so jittery.

Suddenly, a group of Stormtroopers rounded the corner and pointed in their direction. “Stop right there!"

“Uh oh," gasped Keen as he leaped onto Ezra's speeder and held on tightly. "Let's go!"

Adlerleaf and Halftail copied him as they sped forward. The troopers were right on their heels, gaining speed. Halftail felt a blast whizz past his shoulder, nearly clipping him. 

“Take the steering," ordered Kanan as he took out his blaster.

Halftail sighed as he clamored forward. Kanan turned backwards, firing behind him. Halftail took the steering in still trembling paws. They veered around the corner sharply before Kanan managed to shoot at all of the troopers that had been following them. Halftail kept the steering as steady as possible, but his paws continued to shake uncontrollably.

It started to effect the speeder so Kanan rested his hands over Halftail's paws to calm them. “You okay," he whispered in Halftail's ear.

Anger surged through Halftail that he was looking weak, again! "I'm fine," he snapped back as his tail lashed against Kanan's side, sending a jolt through his spine. He gritted his teeth against the sensation and picked up the pace with Kanan's hands still on top of his paws to steady them. 

They arrived back at the Ghost just as the sun was going down. They hopped off the speeders and pushed them into the hanger and took off the supplies that they had managed to find. Halftail and Kanan looked inside to find weapons and even some medical supplies that Birchfoot could use.

“Do you think we could trade some of this for food," wondered Keen as hope shone in his eyes. "I'm starving!"

Halftail stifled a sigh. Food had been stretched thin and he had given up his share of whatever they had for Swifttail and Keen. That was probably why he was so shaky. He hadn't remembered the last time he had had a full stomach.

Adlerleaf cuffed Keen's ear gingerly. "I'm sure I could find you something to eat or maybe get some herbs from Birchfoot to at least curb you appetite." 

Kanan kneeled beside her, smiling timidly at Halftail. "Perhaps you should get some herbs from Birchfoot as well."

Halftail was a bit taken aback that Keen had noticed how he was feeling, but he decided not to argue. He set his jaw and forced a nod. "Alright." He strode forward with his tail kinked over his back. He stalked into the main living area and scowled as he heard Senator Trayvis's voice. He was boasting about his turn to the Empire. 

“Turn that off," snapped Zeb as he curled his hand into a fist. 

Hera gratefully obliged and shut off the signal. "I can't believe that he was working for the Empire all that time," she muttered under her breath.

“Neither can I," agreed Bluefeather as she laid beside Molis, her cheek pressed against his shoulder. "It's impossible to know who to trust. It seems like everyone is turning against us."

Molis touched his nose to his mate's ear fondly. "I know that it's hard, but not everyone is against us. We're still here and that's something to be thankful about."

Bluefeather didn't look so sure of her mate’s words, but she didn't argue. "I just wish that we could do something to show people that they don't have to listen to this fish-brained nonsense," snorted Swifttail as he licked Adlerleaf's ear affectionately. "Most people are converting to the Empire because they're afraid not to." 

“What do you want to do," inquired Adlerleaf as she flicked her tail tip, softly she resting it across Swifttail's shoulder. "Send a message to inspire them?" 

Kanan snapped his fingers, smiling broadly. "That's a great idea, Adlerleaf!"

Adlerleaf tilted her head in confusion. "It is?"

Kanan nodded. "We can send a message to inspire others not to conform to the Empire, but to fight back against them. I think that's a wonderful idea!”

Molis and Bluefeather exchanged a worried look before nodding while Zeb seemed pretty convinced. "I think that could actually work," barked Molis as he nodded his head surely.

“But only Lothal would hear," argued Sabine.

Halftail hummed to himself. "Not if we use the Imperial broadcasting center on Lothal. That will reach at least a few nearby systems."

Birchfoot's ears twitched. "You're suggesting we enter an Imperial broadcasting center and proclaim a message to try and get others to turn against the Empire?" He shook his head. "I'm for it as much as anyone, but this sounds like a death wish; especially because others have tried and died." 

“But we're different," pointed out Keen as he worked his claws against the ground. "I bet that we could do it! Just like my parents." 

Ezra's eyes darkened. "Our parents died because of this, Keen," he reminded him curtly.

Keen plastered his ears against his head. "I know, but that doesn't mean that we shouldn't try. We're rebels after all!"

Halftail purred as he rose up beside Keen. "You're right. I think that we can do this. If we at least plan it out and make sure that everything runs smoothly."

Birchfoot rolled his eyes. "It never does. If it did I wouldn't be giving everyone herbs to suppress hunger." 

Adlerleaf rose to his paws and strode over to Keen. "Speaking of that, someone was complaining about being hungry. Perhaps you have something to help?"

“Of course I do! Come with me, Keen," meowed Birchfoot, pleased that he had something important to do. He limped forward and tried not to let his hind leg drag. Keen followed while Halftail sighed as he strode after him. He promised Kanan that he'd at least see Birchfoot and see if he had anything for his own hunger. 

The three made their way to Birchfoot's room and Birchfoot rummaged around for herbs. He picked up a few and dropped them in front of Keen. "Eat up."

Keen blinked his eyes in shock as he recognized them. "Those taste terrible! Don't you have anything that tastes better," he inquired hopefully. 

Birchfoot shook his head. "This is the best that you're going to get. Either you eat those or you're going to be hungry for another few days." 

Keen lowered his head and began to nibble at the herbs, trying not to gag. Once he was finished he pawed at his tongue in disgust. “Thanks Birchfoot. I hope that it takes my hunger away." He then darted out, yipping as he tried to play and pounce. 

Halftail chuckled as Birchfoot turned to him. "Do you need something, Halftail?"

Halftail hung his head. "Kanan made me come. He thinks that I'm starving myself."

“Are you," pressed Birchfoot as he listened to Halftail's chest and his heart while he spoke. "I mean I know that you're trying to give you portion to Keen and Swifttail, but eventually you have to take some for yourself."

Halftail shrugged. "It's not my fault that I love them so much to give up my food. I'm just not that hungry!"

Birchfoot eyes widened in surprise and hurt. "Alright, but can you at least humor me into eating some herbs? I even have some berries that taste pretty good." 

Halftail thought about arguing, but Birchfoot could beat him at that any day. He would never win. “Fine, but save some for others."

Birchfoot quickly grabbed some herbs and berries and set them in front of Halftail. "Eat up. I promise that they're not as bad as Keen made them seem." 

Halftail knew that wasn't true. He had eaten herbs before and they tasted awful no matter what anyone said. He just shrugged as he lowered his head and began to chew them as quickly as he could. Once he was finished, he struggled not to make a face as he swallowed. "Thanks, Birchfoot. I hope that should help my hunger."

Birchfoot snorted in amusement. "Actual food would make things better, but it at least should at least take the edge off," he growled as he pushed his head against Halftail's haunch. "Now get some rest. It should help with the jitters."

Halftail touched his nose to Birchfoot's ear before he strode from the room with his ears plastered against his head. He stretched outward and clawed at the ground in front of him, his claws extended. He just hoped that broadcasting the message would have some effect on the struggling systems. Yet, he couldn’t help feeling that something terrible would become of it.


	65. Lion Attack

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Food is a luxury that must be protected.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warning for mention of blood and spinal fluid.

The next day Halftail, Kanan, Adlerleaf, Keen, Sabine, and Ezra all laid on top of a bridge that was close to Lothal. Kanan looked through the binoculars before he passed them to Halftail. Halftail grasped them firmly in his paws and when he peered through them, be saw the Imperial Broadcasting Tower. He also saw numerous Stormtroopers guarding the door.

“So that's where we're going," sighed Halftail as he passed the binoculars back to Kanan.

“Are you nervous," inquired Keen as he looked over to Halftail. 

Halftail snorted, stretching out his neck to lick Keen behind the ear. "A bit. You should be too!" 

Keen ducked his head back, leaning forward a bit to try and get a closer look. "I'm nervous, but I'm also excited! I'm going to do what my parents used to do!"

“And look where it got them," snapped Ezra as he stood and towered over Keen, his voice raising in defiance. 

Halftail sucked in breath quickly as he saw someone turn to try and look at them. "Get down," he hissed as he sunk his claws into the back of Ezra's legs and took them out from under him. He landed harshly on his stomach, the wind knocked from his lungs. Halftail pressed against Ezra's legs urgently. He didn't let go until he was sure that whoever had been looking at them had passed. 

“Thanks," panted Ezra as he rubbed some blood from the back of his legs where Halftail’s claws had torn the flesh.

Halftail dipped his head before he pressed against Keen and Adlerleaf. "No problem." He suddenly turned his head to the rest of the crew. "Now can we please get out of here? Being up here makes my pelt prickle."

Keen flicked his ears. "I love being up here! Flying is amazing."

Halftail wasn't so sure about that. He had no interest in being anywhere where his paws couldn’t touch the ground. 

Suddenly, Kanan turned to glance at Sabine. "You have three minutes. Can you scan the specs?"

Sabine nodded vigorously. "I can do it in five minutes." 

Kanan huffed as he looked away. "That's too long. Do it in three," he pressed as he laid on his belly to keep himself from being seen. Halftail thought it was actually a comical sight. He had never seen Kanan reduced to cowering on his belly like a snake. 

“I can't do it in three, but I can do it in five," argued Sabine as she sat up.

Adlerleaf lashed her tail. "At least start. I don't like being up here any more than Halftail does," she mumbled as she looked down, fear making her paws shake. 

Sabine gave Kanan a firm nod of her head as she began to scan the building. Suddenly, Keen's eyes widened and he pointed a shaky paw at a droid.

“It's a recorder," Halftail growled in Kanan's ear as he saw it turn to look directly at them.

Adlerleaf's fur spiked along her spine. "What are we going to do? Sabine isn't done yet," she grumbled as she lashed her tail.

“Well, we can't just wait here for the rest of the Empire to find us," spat Halftail as he curled his claws into his pads, causing them to bleed.

Ezra suddenly extended his hand and everyone turned silent. A small cat leaped from the tall grasses and landed on the droid. The droid spun for a while under the cat’s weight until it fell into the grass and exploded. The cat bounded away unscathed and Halftail couldn't suppress a purr.

Sabine gave a firm nod. "Done."

“Now let's get out of here," meowed Halftail as he readied himself to leap down. There wasn't much he liked less than being up on that bridge any long than he needed to be.

Kanan chuckled as he pushed Halftail aside. Halftail hissed as he half leaped, half stumbled from the bridge. He landed and a jolt shot through his paws. He looked up and yowled as Alderleaf landed a whisker beside of him. Keen flew down and rested gingerly on the ground beside Adlerleaf. 

Sabine, Kanan, and Ezra followed before they made their way to the speeders. Before they could board, Keen's eyes lit up as he lowered into a crouch. "I smell prey! Can we please try and hunt," he begged. 

Kanan and Sabine exchanged a glance, but Halftail did have to admit he was hungry, even with Birchfoot's herbs curbing some of the hunger pains. "I think that's a great idea, Keen," chimed in Halftail as he kinked his tail over his back. "Would you like to join us, Adlerleaf?"

Adlerleaf smiled and Halftail noticed that she too must have been hungry. "I would love to! Do you two mind if I tag along?"

Keen wove around Adlerleaf and wagged his tail. "Yeah, you have to come!" 

Halftail purred warmly as he looked up to Kanan, Ezra, and Sabine. "You three can head back and please ask everyone else who can if they would like to hunt."

“No problem," Kanan told him as he mounted his speeder and the three sped away.

Halftail then turned and pushed his head against Keen's haunch. "Go ahead and lead the way. I know that you can smell the prey." 

Keen seemed excited beyond compare at being asked to lead the patrol. He darted forward with Halftail and Adlerleaf right behind. They surged into the tall grasses, the dry fronds tickling Halftail's nose, making him sneeze.

“Quiet," snapped Keen as he looked behind him. "I'm trying to stalk a mouse!"

Halftail rolled his eyes as he caught whiff of squirrel. He lowered into a crouch and followed in the direction where the scent was the strongest. It had been a while since he had hunted, but it wasn't something that you ever forgot.

When he was close enough to nearly taste the creature, he leaped. His paws landed on a spine and he felt the creature thrash from under him. He sunk his teeth into the back of the neck and crushed it easily in his fangs. Blood spurted into his mouth. Halftail drew back, looking at his prey in pride, purring a bit. That should at least feed Keen or Swifttail.

He suddenly heard swift paw steps from behind him and, by the scent, he knew it was Adlerleaf. She let out a hiss as she landed on something. A squeal sounded, making Halftail think it was some sort of pig. It was almost as large as she was, but Adlerleaf was strong and she could take down nearly anything if she tried. 

Once Halftail knew that she was finished hunting, he took his catch and strode over to her. "Nice work," he praised as he looked at the large pig creature that was dead at her paws.

She blushed at his kind words. "It was nothing. Besides, my parents taught me well," she meowed as she picked up the pig and struggled to drag it forward. Halftail rushed forward to help her, allowing her to push the prey onto his shoulders. She took the squirrel he had caught and the two started toward the Ghost.

Suddenly, Halftail caught the scent of something that he hadn't scented in a long time; large cats. "Adlerleaf," he hissed as fear jolted through him.

Adlerleaf had scented it too and she dropped her prey as she arched her back. Halftail did the same, keeping close to the pig in case anyone tried to steal it. 

To his surprise, a cat leaped from the tall grass and Halftail realized with a jolt it was a male lion. It's eyes were pale yellow while it's paws were massive. Massive claws scorched the earth from each paw while large fangs showed from under his muzzle. However, it seemed skinny and hungry as if it hadn’t eaten in moons. Hunger always made creatures dangerous. 

“It wants our prey," meowed Halftail calmly as he spread his paws into an attack position. He didn't want to fight for their prey, but he wasn't just going to give it up. 

Aderleaf bared her teeth. "Well he can't have it! If he wants prey so badly then he should have hunted for it like us," she declared as she turned her head in the air.

The lion's eyes blazed before he darted forward, his paws outstretched. Halftail lunged to meet him. He may have been smaller than the lion, but that didn't mean that he wasn't going to fight for what was his. He slammed into the lion's jaw with his muzzle and the lion staggered backwards.

Adlerleaf leaped and sunk her teeth into the lion's shoulder, trying to use her weight to her advantage. The lion snarled, turning to sunk his teeth into the back of her neck. Halftail darted forward to protect her and swiped his claws against his nose. Blood gushed out everywhere and it looked like a deeper wound than it really was. 

The lion let go of Adlerleaf suddenly. She bounded around and exploded for the lion's haunches. The lion was ready though and kicked a hind leg against Adlerleaf's jaw, sending her backwards and rolling against the ground.

Halftail let out a growl while the lion roared, trying to assert his dominance. Halftail didn't care about that. He surged forward and reared on his hind legs as he tried to aim a blow at the lion's chest. He missed and the lion sunk his teeth into one of Halftail's legs, his own paws free for a harsh blow. The lion reared on his hind legs and sliced his claws against Halftail's chest. 

Halftail yowled in pain as blood began to dampen his fur and turn it crimson. The lion threw him aside and Halftail landed feebly against the pig. He shook his head to clear it as he stumbled back to his paws, trying to ignore the burning sensation in his chest. He leaped again, but this time he leaped sideways. The lion lunged once more for him, but he missed and Halftail knew he had the upper paw, at least a bit. 

Halftail darted under the lion's underbelly and raked his claws down the soft fur. The lion roared in agony, but before he could finish his cry, Halftail sunk his teeth into the lion's muzzle, trying to break it. He didn't break through, but he felt blood drip out and into his mouth. He gasped as the lion's claws raked against his throat.

He rolled close to Adlerleaf, and when he opened his mouth, blood dripped from it. That wasn't a good sign. 

Before he could say his good-byes, Halftail heard the yowl of Keen. Keen flew through the air and sunk his claws into one of the lion's shoulders and the other into the lion's haunch. He then sunk his teeth into the back of the lion's skull. Halftail heard the crush of bone and watched as blood began to ooze from the wound and into Keen's mouth.

“Let him go," rasped Halftail as he forced himself to his paws, trying not to sway under his own weight. "He's been defeated and he shouldn't last too much longer here."

Keen reluctantly let the lion go and he leaped back beside Halftail, his chest puffing out in pride. The lion stumbled sideways before he fell and Halftail saw that part of his skull had been pressed in thanks to Keen's fangs and had plunged into his brain. Blood and spinal fluid gushed out and it was enough to make anyone's stomach churn in disgust. 

Keen darted over to Adlerleaf and nudged her muzzle lightly. "She's breathing, but it's faint!"

“We have to get her back," meowed Halftail as he strode over to her and nodded to Keen. "Place her on my shoulders and I'll carry her to the Ghost."

Keen looked over to their pig and squirrel. "What about the prey?"

Halftail turned to glance at the prey they had fought so hard to keep. “If you can carry it then do so, but if not then leave it and I'll send someone else to pick it up. Adlerleaf is the most important thing right now." 

Keen nodded as he lowered his head and grunted as he heaved Adlerleaf onto Halftail’s shoulders. He then forced the pig onto his own shoulders, stumbling under the weight. He picked up the squirrel between his teeth and darted forward and past Halftail. 

Halftail stumbled forward as blood began to run down his pelt. His vision was blurring, but he wasn't about to let Adlerleaf die because he couldn't get to the Ghost. "Don't worry, Adlerleaf," he panted as blood pooled from his mouth. "I'll get you home, I promise."


	66. Prey For All

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The first great feast yields interesting consequences.

Birchfoot stood in his room as he tried to force all of the herbs he had taken out for a hungry crew in their places. He was quickly running out of room. However, Birchfoot saw that as a good thing. That meant that there hadn't been a reason to use them. 

“Birchfoot," gasped a sound from behind him. Birchfoot swiftly turned to see that it was Sabine who had called his name. She darted over and leaned into the entrance of his room.

Birchfoot pivoted calmly. "What can I do for you, Sabine?" He saw the fear in her eyes, causing the fur along his spine to stand on end. "Sabine, what's wrong?"

Sabine gulped. "It's your sister."

“Adlerleaf," he gasped as he darted forward, falling miserably over his lame hind leg. He growled in pain as he landed and heard the pop of his hind leg. He gritted his teeth in songs, but he wasn't about to stop and set it back when he knew that his sister was in trouble. 

He continued into the hanger bay and stopped as Keen flew in, followed by Halftail, staggering under Adlerleaf's weight. Birchfoot bounded into action. "Swifttail, get me all the herbs possible for injuries. This looks like an attack," he ordered Swifttail urgently. 

Swifttail nodded as he sped as fast as he could to grab what Birchfoot had requested. Birchfoot then turned to Molis and pointed to Halftail with his paw. 

Molis darted forward and sunk his teeth gingerly into Adlerleaf's scruff. "Careful," snarled Halftail absentmindedly. "You're going to hurt her!"

Molis's eyes lit in surprise, but he kept hold of Adlerleaf tightly. He dragged her gingerly into the hanger. Halftail followed close behind, coughing up blood as he went along. Molis set Adlerleaf down gently at Birchfoot's paws.

“Will she be alright," fretted Keen as he danced behind Birchfoot.

Anger and worry made Birchfoot's ears twitch in anger. "Get back or I can't concentrate," snarled Birchfoot as he nearly thrust a paw against Keen's ear. 

Keen staggered backwards, whimpering in shock at Birchfoot's harsh tone. He stumbled behind Ezra fearfully. Ezra lowered down to scratch at Keen's ear comfortingly. "What happened?"

“A lion attacked," answered Keen as he looked up to Ezra. "It was after our prey!'

Birchfoot barely heard bits of the conversation, but he was more concerned about his sister. He lowered his head and pressed his nose against Adlerleaf's neck to feel for a pulse. It was faint, but it was there.

Swifttail suddenly darted forward with numerous herbs clamped in his jaws. He set them down at Birchfoot's side with his eyes glittering in worry. “Is she going to be alright? Is there anything that I can do?"

“See to Halftail," meowed Birchfoot dismissively as he felt Adlerleaf's pulse begin to pick up. She was unconscious, but Birchfoot hoped she would be better when she woke up. 

Swifttail reluctantly nodded as he strode over toward his father. He crouched beside him, beginning to look at the deep scratches littering his pelt. "A lion did this to you?" 

Halftail looked up with strained eyes. "All over some skimpy prey."

Swifttail didn't say anything as he began to clean Halftail's wounds with gentle rasps of his tongue. Halftail snarled in pain and struggled not to lash out at his son. "Is Adlerleaf okay," Halftail asked after a while when the pain started to fade.

Swifttail turned his head and saw Birchfoot help Adlerleaf stand. "I think she was just stunned. I'm really worried about you. These wounds are deep," he fretted as he began to gnaw at dead tissue so that the new tissue could grow from one of Halftail’s deeper scratches. 

Halftail gasped in pain and that was when Birchfoot strode over with his eyes blinking away tears. "Let me see if I can do anything for this," he meowed as he began to chew a bundle of herbs in a pulp. 

Swifttail took a step back, but continued to watch Birchfoot's steady moves. After a while, Kanan came over and sat down across from them. "I didn't even know lions came this close."'

Halftail extended his claws. "They don't usually. It's just that we had easy prey and he thought we would just let him have it. He didn't know that we had hungry members of our crew here." 

“You didn't need to do all that fighting for some prey," scolded Birchfoot as he flicked his tail across Halftail's muzzle. "Look what he did to you!”

Halftail acted like it was no big deal. "Maybe," he sniffed rudely. "But he won't ever bother us again."

Birchfoot rolled his eyes as he moved to Halftail's neck. It was worse than it looked, but it was still tender and would take a while to heal fully. "You need to be more careful. You're getting older and these won't be healing as quickly as you would have hoped," he informed as he clawed away at some of Birchfoot's matted and bloody fur. 

Halftail just grumbled in pain as Birchfoot began to apply the paste to his throat before wrapping it in bandages and other leaves. Once he was finished, Birchfoot took a step back and dipped his head. "That should do it. I wouldn't advise you doing anything too strenuous tonight." 

Halftail's eyes widened. "But we're going to the broadcasting tower tonight. Are you saying that I can't do that?"

Birchfoot looked at his paws, debating on what to say. "Well, as long as you don't do anything too strenuous there you should be alright," he murmured thoughtfully. 

Halftail let out a breath of relief as he rose to his paws. He did so a little to fast and stars exploded in front of his vision. Swifttail was right there to support his father before he could fall. Halftail purred thankfully. "Maybe you shouldn't go," meowed Swifttail as his own eyes widened in fear for his father. 

“Nonsense," hissed Halftail as his fur spiked. "I'll be fine! Besides, at least we'll all be able to go on a full stomach."

Swifttail looked to Kanan with pleading eyes. Kanan thought about what to say, even though he knew that Halftail wouldn't listen. "It may be fore the best, Halftail, if you stay here."

Halftail forced himself to sit on his own even though the effort of it made him want to vomit. "I said I'd be fine. It's just a few claw scratches."

“Yeah, to two of the most vital areas of the body," broke in Swifttail as he stood with his own fur bristling.

Halftail bared his teeth. "I said I was fine and I don't want to talk about it anymore!" He gingerly walked over to where Adlerleaf was telling the story about how they'd fought off the lion to get the prey. Once she was finished, Halftail nosed the squirrel forward.

“How about we share that," suggested Bluefeather to Molis. 

Molis nodded as he took the squirrel from Halftail. The two dug in, tearing muscles and tendons easily with their long and sharp fangs. Blood began to show on their muzzles, but Halftail knew that they didn't mind. Hunting for food was natural for wolves and Anoobas. 

“Could I have some of the pig," inquired Keen as he wiggled his haunches hopefully. Drool began to drip from his fangs. "I'm starving and it looks so good!" 

Halftail chuckled as he took off part of the pig's leg and passed it to Keen. "Have as much as you would like. We worked hard for this prey." 

Keen dug in, his teeth tearing at the flesh easily. Halftail purred as he watched, but stopped abruptly as pain flashed through his throat. He took off another leg from the pig and passed it to Adlerleaf and Swifttail. "You two can share," he meowed hopefully.

Adlerleaf took the leg gratefully before settling beside Swifttail as the two began to eat. They were so close that their fur brushed as well as their whiskers. Halftail still didn't like that they were still so close and affectionate to each other, but he knew that he couldn't stop it, so he decided to just embrace it. 

“You should eat too," meowed Halftail as he looked upward toward Kanan and the rest of the crew.

Kanan smiled before he shook his head. "You all go ahead. I think that you're going to all need more than what you've taken to fill you up." 

Halftail wanted to push, but before he could, Keen came over and dropped the leg bone. "Could I have some more, please?" Blood coated his muzzle from where he had ate, but his ribs were still showing from under his flank. Halftail knew Keen was growing, so he obliged. 

“Okay, but don't eat too much. The last thing you all need is a stomachache," Halftail sighed as he dug into the pig again and this time allowed Keen to have some more of the fatty part. 

Keen dug in and began chomping as quickly as he could. Halftail sighed as he pushed him back. "What did I say? Slower and not so much in the mouthfuls."

Keen took a step back and lowered his head in his shoulders. "I'm sorry. I'm just so hungry. I can't even tell you the last time I ate something beside herbs."

Halftail nuzzled Keen affectionately. "I know, but I don't want you to get sick. Just try and contain yourself. It isn't going anywhere," he chided.

Keen then waited as Halftail gave him the liver of the pig. "This is the fattiest part and I'm sure that it should fill you up." 

Keen took the liver and began to dig in. Halftail then took out some more flesh and strode over to Birchfoot. He set it down in front of him and smiled. Birchfoot looked up and blinked his eyes. "I'm not hungry," he grumbled as he cleaned up some fragments of herbs that clung to his fur.

“Don't lie to me," meowed Halftail sternly since he knew that growling would only make his throat feel worse than it already did. "I know that you must be hungry because of how thin you are and I can see every rib jutting out from your pelt." 

Birchfoot wrinkled his nose smugly. "I'm not lying to you. I just think that I should let the younger ones eat their fill first," he answered as he looked at his paws. 

Halftail sighed as he pressed against Birchfoot, exhaustion washing over him. “And they have had their prey so it's your turn now."

Birchfoot smirked. "I'll eat if you do."

Halftail stifled another sigh as he nodded. "Alright, but I want you to eat your fill. The pig is big enough for all of us to have as much as we want."

The two made their way over and Halftail took out a large chunk of flesh for Birchfoot. He took a smaller piece for himself, but it looked larger than it was. The two lowered down and began to eat quietly and quickly. Bluefeather, Molis, Swifttail, and Adlerleaf all went up for seconds and even thirds. Once Halftail was suer they were finished, he rose to his paws to grab more for them to eat.

The pig was licked clean with only bones remaining by the time everyone was finished. "Thank you Starbound for providing this meal," murmured Molis as his eyes darkened. "And thank you for allowing the ones who caught it to get away from that lion." 

The rest of the group murmured their agreement before Halftail yawned and his eyes clouded. "You should get some rest," suggested Birchfoot as he stumbled to his paws, nearly falling and landing on his muzzle.

Halftail shook his head. "I have to prepare. Tonight we're heading out to broadcast the message," he pointed out as he rose to his own paws, feeling bloated and full for the first time in moons.

Kanan came over and nodded to Birchfoot, a subtle reference that he had Halftail. Birchfoot strode away from them and back toward his room as he struggled to climb the ladder. Kanan the sat beside Halftail and Halftail knew where this was going. He thrust his ears forward so that Kanan knew that he didn't want to talk about resting or staying behind.

“Halftail I really think that-" 

“I'm alright," meowed Halftail sternly as he kinked his tail over his back. "I need to be ready for tonight. This may be one of the most important things that we've done." 

Kanan stroked Halftail down his spine, nearly making Halftail fall asleep in the process. "How about then you just lay down where you always do down here. Maybe that will help."

Halftail wanted to argue Kanan’s suggestion, but Kanan narrowed his eyes. "Don't make me order you, Halftail."

Halftail hung his head and curled his claws in on his pads. "Fine! But don't think that I'm going to go to sleep," he snapped as he reluctantly stormed over to the spot that he always laid in the hanger. He curled into a ball and looked at the rest of the group as they talked quickly while Keen and Molis played a bit with Bluefeather looking on proudly with her eyes gleaming.

Halftail lashed his tail before Swifttail strode over and smiled at his father. "Do you mind if I lay here," he asked hopefully as he patted the spot beside Halftail.

Halftail couldn't hide his surprise as he nodded. "S-Sure! Here, I'll move over." He scooted aside and allowed a place for Swifttail to lay.

Swifttail laid beside Halftail and purred warmly as he rubbed his nose affectionately against Halftail's cheek. "Just try and get some rest."

For some reason when Swifttail made the suggestion, it made Halftail want to listen more than when Birchfoot or Kanan said it. He lowered his head and rested it against Swifttail’s shoulders, purring softly, as he drifted off into a deep sleep.


	67. Left Behind

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Plans aren’t meant to go smoothly.

Halftail was awoken by a hash shaking of his shoulders. He looked up and gasped when he realized it was Kanan. "Are you up for it," whispered Kanan since Swifttail was still sleeping curled up beside him.

Halftail nodded slowly as he rose to his paws, nearly falling back, his muscles feeling like jelly. "I'm fine. Should I wake up Swifttail?"

Kanan looked over to Swifttail who was snoring. "If you think that he's up for it. We can use all the help that we can get," he replied as he stood up and strode toward the rest of the group to discuss a plan. 

Halftail looked over to his son and jabbed a paw into his ribs. Swifttail yelped as he opened his eyes. "What gives," he mumbled as he thrust a paw over his eyes.

“It's time to go," Halftail answered as he picked up Swifttail's tail and dragged him from the pile of clothes. 

Swifttail extended his claws before he rose to his paws and shook out his pelt. "Alright." he bounded over to Kanan, Adlerleaf, Keen, and Ezra. 

Halftail trailed after him, but stopped as he saw Birchfoot hanging back. He strode over to him and touched his nose to Birchfoot's ear. "It's going to be okay, Birchfoot." 

Birchfoot looked at his paws. "Ezra and Kanan were arguing earlier about it. I know that they're worried about what could happen," he confessed.

Halftail's eyes lit in sympathy. "I know it's nerve racking, but we've done dangerous things before."

“But not so soon after two members of the crew have been injured," reported Birchfoot as he clicked his teeth together in anger and fear.

Halftail knew that he was more concerned about Adlerleaf than him. He couldn’t blame him. "I'll watch out for her, I promise," he vowed as he licked Birchfoot between the ears. 

Birchfoot drew back and lashed his tail. "But who's going to look after you? You act like you're invincible, Halftail, and you're not." 

Halftail didn't need to be told that. "I know, Birchfoot. You don't need to tell me that. I promise that I'll look after myself a bit more. I just don't want anyone thinking that I'm weak."

Birchfoot's whiskers twitched. "No one thinks that. Everyone looks up to you like a leader, just like Kanan. I just don't want anything to happen to you. One day there will come a day when I can't heal you."

That sent jolts up Halftail's spine as he shuffled his paws from under him. “I know, but until then I will continue to fight."

“Halftail," called Molis as he whipped his tail from side to side. "Are you coming?"

Halftail gave a nod before he nodded to Birchfoot. "Coming!" He touched his nose to Birchfoot's ear. "I'll see you later. Remember, don't worry."

Halftail charged after the group and saw that they were readying to board the speeders. Halftail lowered at the entrance of the hanger, his claws extended and adrenaline pumping. Adlerleaf, Swifttail, Keen, and Molis lowered beside him and readied themselves. 

“Do you think that things will work with this plan," wondered Keen with round eyes.

Halftail purred as he touched his nose to Keen's ear. "I hope so, but I can't promise anything. Just stick close to me and everything will be okay." 

Keen nodded before Halftail surged forward, leading the charge alongside of the speeders that everyone else was riding. It wasn't long before Adlerleaf took the lead as long as Sabine had the lead with her speeder. Halftail and Swifttail went one way while Molis and Keen went the other. Their goal was to wrap around and come together for a surprise attack. Halftail had gotten the idea from when the lion attacked them.

Halftail halted as he waited for Adlerleaf and Sabine to do their work. Swifttail stopped beside him while he hoped that Molis and Keen were doing the same on the other side. 

“When can we go closer," inquired Swifttail as his paws itched to get going. 

Halftail stretched out a paw and stopped Swifttail from darting forward. "Just wait. We can't go too soon or it could jeopardize the whole mission."

Swifttail reluctantly lowered down into a crouch as he waited, his head rested on his paws. Halftail was as nervous as his son was, but he wasn't about to let it show. 

There was suddenly an explosion and Halftail surged forward. "Now!"

Swifttail surged right after him. The two bounded forward and Halftail felt the strain in his body where the lion had attacked. He pushed it aside and continued forward with his paws barely touching the ground. They went around sideways and Halftail plowed into a Stormtrooper, easily taking them to the ground. 

Halftail saw Molis and Keen at the other side and they quickly bounded toward them. "What are we going to do," asked Molis as he lashed his tail.

Halftail turned and flicked his tail over to a heavy gun that was mounted to the ground. It was positioned beside another with Zeb was already in one. "Go and help Zeb."

Molis dipped his head in agreement, surging forward, his ears plastered against his head. Swifttail and Keen looked around and Swifttail's ears suddenly stood up on his head. "I hear something!"

Halftail looked over his shoulder and heard the same thing. He bounded over to Kanan and Ezra. "I think that there's reinforcements coming," he fretted as his tail kinked over his back. 

“Reinforcements," gasped Keen as his eyes suddenly rounded and all of the life seemed to drain from his face. "I didn't think this was what was going to happen."

Halftail looked up to Kanan with round eyes. "We have to abort this!"

Kanan shook his head. "We can complete this," he assured before gunships came into view. He then turned and spoke into his comm. "Sabine we have incoming."

“You told me I have three minutes," argued Sabine and Halftail heard Adlerleaf hiss under her breath.

Kanan squeezed his eyes shut. "Well, now you only have one and hurry it up!"

Halftail saw the gunships becoming dangerously close. He turned to Keen. "Go and get Molis," Halftail ordered above the blasterfire that were being fired from both sides.

Keen's eyes widened. "I'm scared," he confessed in a shaky voice and Halftail saw him almost seize. "I can't do this! My parents died. I don't want to."

Now was not the time for Keen to panic. Halftail stood in front of Keen and forced Keen to look at him. "Look at me," he meowed sternly as he tried to stop Keen from shaking. "You can do this. You just need to relax and breathe. Your parents are so proud of you for what you've accomplished and they will be more than proud of you for fighting in something that they believe in."

Keen bit his lip before his eyes hardened. He bunched his muscles before he turned and darted toward Molis, his wings plastered against his sides. 

“Go and get Zeb," ordered Kanan to Ezra.

Ezra set his feet. "I'm not leaving here," he told Kanan firmly.

Kanan narrowed his eyes, not wanting to argue with Ezra about this right now. "No, you're going to get Zeb and then come back," snapped Kanan in a voice that didn't allow any further debate.

Ezra reluctantly surged forward, and while he was getting Zeb, Keen was returning with Molis. Once Zeb and Ezra darted away from the large guns they exploded. The gunships then landed and Halftail felt the ground shake as they thundered close to them.

That was when he forced Keen and Swifttail in the elevator as Kanan forced Ezra in. "Go," hissed Halftail as he shouldered Swifttail in.

Swifttail pushed back against Halftail. "I won't leave you," he argued as fear showed in his eyes. "Would Mother want us to be separated?"

Halftail hated when Swifttail played the Bine card. "I promise that I'll be right behind you," he assured as his eyes gleamed in affection.

“I can't lose you like I lost Mother," Swifttail nearly wailed as his heart thumped in his chest.

Halftail licked Swifttail between the ears. "You won't," he vowed before he nodded to Molis.

Molis suddenly sprang forward and sunk his teeth into Swifttail's scruff. He dragged him backwards as Swifttail kicked out in shock. He yowled in terror and anger, but Molis was thankfully stronger than Swifttail, at least for now. Once everyone was in, Kanan looked down to Halftail.

“Go on," Kanan barked at Halftail.

Halftail puffed out his chest. "With all due respect, I'm not going anywhere," he replied as he took out his lightsaber and took a stance.

Kanan smiled thankfully at Halftail before he stabbed his lightsaber in the door so that it wouldn't be able to open. Halftail readied himself to fight as the Inquisitor came forward. Kanan met him first while Halftail took the Stormtroopers down easily. Once he was finished, he came back to the Inquisitor and thrust his lightsaber down.

The Inquisitor blocked him and Halftail growled a bit as he felt his chest begin to ache where the lion had scratched him. The Inquisitor turned and kicked Halftail right in the chest. Halftail felt something crack inside of him. The pain was unbearable, but he wasn't about to let it stop him from fighting. He was defending his whole crew, his family, and he wasn't about to let anyone hurt them.

Halftail suddenly looked up as he saw the crew boarding the Phantom. Halftail heard Kanan's comm go off. "We're not leaving without either of you!"

Halftail heard Swifttail in the background and his heart ached. "Not an option," Halftail yowled before he darted for the Inquisitor again. The Inquisitor shot out a foot and it collided with Halftail's chest. Halftail fell harshly and gasped in agony as he felt the wounds reopen. He swore that he felt his ribs crack.

The Inquisitor then picked up Kanan with the force and pushed him against the wall. Halftail tried to rise to his paws, but he just slumped down and his eyes turned foggy as he struggled to see. It was then that the whole world went black.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

“We have to go," Hera finally announced; an order for Swifttail to climb aboard.

Swifttail turned back with wild eyes. "But my Dad isn't aboard yet," he argued as he lashed his tail. 

Molis darted forward and sunk his teeth into Swifttail's scruff and dragged him backwards with help from Adlerleaf. Swifttail thought about yowling, but emotion made his throat feel like it was closing. Molis set him down in the Phantom and stood over him. 

“We can't leave," Swifttail whimpered as the doors closed. "Halftail and Kanan are still down there!"

Molis frowned as he looked to Keen. Keen took a step back and curled his tail around his paws, tears showing in his own eyes. Zeb and Sabine looked heartbroken, but they had no idea what they could do to help.

Swifttail pushed Molis from him and looked up to Hera. "Are we really leaving them," he sniffed as grief made his voice crackled.

Adlerleaf pressed against Swifttail and licked his ear affectionately. When Hera didn't answer, Swifttail seemed to know the answer. He lowered down to the belly of the ship and sobbed before he thrust his paws over his face so that no one could see him crying over the loss of his father.


	68. Comfort From Friends

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Swifttail finds it hard to cope after his father is captured.

The Phantom boarded the Ghost and everyone left except for Swifttail. He still cowered where he was with his fur plastered against his sides. "Swifttail, do you want me to stay with you," offered Adlerleaf with sympathy lighting in her eyes.

Swifttail didn't say anything as tears fell onto his whiskers before falling onto the ground. "Can you go and get Birchfoot for me," he asked. 

Adlerleaf dipped her head before she scrambled out of the Phantom. She bounded to Birchfoot's room and poked her muzzle inside. Birchfoot hopped over to Adlerleaf. "Is something wrong? Is anyone injured?"

Adlerleaf's eyes turned hollow and misty. "Halftail and Kanan were captured," Adlerleaf confessed as she hung her head and her tail drooped.

Birchfoot's heart dropped in his chest. "H-How," he stammered as shock overwhelmed him and made his whole body shake in grief and terror. 

“The Inquisitor," replied Adlerleaf before she threw her head sideways. "Swifttail is taking it really hard. He wants you, and I really think that you should try and help him."

Birchfoot wasn't sure that he was going to be that much help, but he knew that he couldn't just not go see him. "Alright, let me go check on Swifttail." 

Adlerleaf touched her nose affectionately to her brother's. "I'm so sorry, Birchfoot," she rasped as she turned with her tail dragging as she went.

Birchfoot limped toward the Phantom while the scent of grief and loss filled the air. Everyone was talking quietly, mostly about Swifttail. Birchfoot hated that they would talk about Swifttail at a time of grief like this, but he decided not to push it. They all had experienced a scare that he hadn't. had so he knew that they were probably spooked out of their minds.

Birchfoot drew forward and pushed his head into the Phantom, his claws gripping the outside so that he didn't fall forward. "Swifttail?"

“Birchfoot," wheezed Swifttail and Birchfoot could practically feel the grief clinging to his fur. "Is that you?"

Birchfoot looked where he could step and he gingerly lowered himself down, his working hind paw supporting his body weight for a heartbeat. He then lowered down and drew toward Swifttail. He was hunkered under one of the seats on the side and Birchfoot realized how small Swifttail looked.

“Yes, it's me," he meowed as he crawled toward Swifttail with his limp and battered hing leg dragging. "What are you doing hiding under here? Don't you think it's a little uncomfortable?"

Swifttail sniffed before he looked away from Birchfoot. "I don't care. I don't deserve to be comfortable when my father is probably being tortured right now. He promised that he would come back!"

Birchfoot pressed closer against Swifttail and licked him between the ears. "We will get him back," Birchfoot promised as he tried to calm his apprentice down. He feared it wasn’t working.

Tears shone in Swifttail's eyes as he rose to his paws and lashed his tail. "Don't make promises that you can't keep," seethed Swifttail as he stormed forward and out of the Phantom.

Birchfoot realized that he probably shouldn't have promised Swifttail anything. He had been let down before and this was just another let down in his mind. Birchfoot grumbled to himself as he stalked to the front of the Phantom and realized with a pang, that he couldn't get up. "Wolf-scat!"

Sabine came over and looked down into the Phantom. "Is that you, Birchfoot?"

Birchfoot didn't want to ask for help, but he knew that he couldn't get up on his own. "Yeah, it's me," he confessed as he shuffled his paws. "Do you think you could lend me a paw er hand?"

Sabine smiled as she swung down and landed beside Birchfoot gingerly. "No problem. Just let me know if I hurt you." Birchfoot had to struggle not to wail as Sabine picked him up and accidentally bumped his hind leg against the wall. Sabine managed to push Birchfoot from his haunches and he grasped onto the opening of the Phantom with his front paws. He wished that to get out of the Phantom you wouldn't have to jump up and out of it.

He managed to pull himself up and out and flopped down almost on his underbelly beside the Phantom. Sabine jumped up easily beside Birchfoot and stroked him between the ears. "I hope I didn't hurt you."

Birchfoot shook his head. "No, I'm okay," assured Birchfoot as he pushed himself to his paws. "I just need to stay out of there unless I really have to go down there."

Sabine smiled, but Birchfoot could tell it was forced. She strode away and Birchfoot grunted as he limped forward. It wasn't long before Adlerleaf caught sight of him and bounded over to him. "Lean on me," meowed Adlerleaf as she pressed against her brother and Birchfoot felt the warmth seep into his muscles. 

Birchfoot gratefully took her shoulder and purred thankfully. "Thanks, Adlerleaf."

“No problem," she mewed as the two strode toward Birchfoot's room. They didn't talk, but they didn't need to. They were closer than most littermates and Birchfoot sometimes believed that they could communicate without even speaking to each other. He never wanted anything to happen to her.

Birchfoot sighed as he stumbled into his room. "You should be leaning on me, not the other way around," he snapped as he thrust a paw on the ground, scattering some herbs all around the room.

Adlerleaf's eyes flickered. "What do you mean? I don't mind that I have to help you sometimes."

“I should be the brother that looks our for you," Birchfoot snarled as he sunk his claws into some herbs and struggled not to shred them to bits. 

Adlerleaf tilted her head as she pranced forward on light paws. "You do look after me. Just because you're not a hunter or a fighter doesn't mean you're not strong. I wouldn't be able to go through everything that you do. I have so much respect for you and I wouldn't want you to be any other way."

Birchfoot brightened at what his sister had said. "You really mean that?"

Adlerleaf brushed her whiskers against Birchfoot's cheek as she ran her muzzle along his jaw. "Of course I do!"

Birchfoot took in a breath before he looked to his nest and the nest beside him where Swifttail usually slept. "Would you like to stay here for the night? I don't think that Swifttail is going to be here tonight."

Adlerleaf blinked her eyes thankfully before she strode over and settled in the nest beside Birchfoot. Birchfoot settled in his own nest and remembered with a jolt when they used to sleep like this in their pride while on the streets. He purred as he drifted off with Adlerleaf right beside.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

“Swifttail, may I come in?"

Swifttail was a bit surprised to hear Keen's voice radiating from the bottom of the room. He was on Ezra's bunk and he felt a little bad since it was where Keen slept, but right now he just wanted to be away from everyone. He hadn't thought Keen would have found him there.

“You're already in, Keen," pointed out Swifttail as he lashed his tail.

Keen bit the insides of his mouth before he spread his wings and flew up, landing beside Swifttail on his bunk. "I suppose I was, but considering it is my room," he remarked and he noticed Swifttail hang his head. "But it's not a problem that you're in there ! I heard that Adlerleaf is with Birchfoot."

Swifttail hoped that he hadn't upset his mentor enough to make him run to his sister. "I'll get out," Swifttail offered quickly.

Before he could make it far, Keen struck out a paw to stop him. "Stay. No one else will care if you're in here. Besides, I think that you need a friend."

Swifttail wasn't sure what to say to that. "Do you think that we'll get Halftail back," he inquired.

Keen nodded vigorously. "We're not going to give up until we get Kanan and Halftail back! As someone who has lost both their parents, I'm not going to let that happen to you."

“Thanks, Keen." Swifttail touched his nose affectionately to Keen's ear and Keen rumbled. He then flicked a claw against Keen's scar over his muzzle. "I think that you look better with that. Now you can brag that you're a real Jedi!"

Keen chuckled as he sat back on his haunches. "Maybe you should have a scar like me so you look like a Jedi as well," he suggested as he butted his head against Swifttail's shoulder.

Swifttail wasn't sure about that, but he nodded to make Keen feel better. "Would you maybe like to play a game? I know where my Dad used to keep some old board games?"

To Keen it was as if Swifttail had asked him to be his mate. He leaped up and down with his wings beating at his sides. "Yes, please!"

Swifttail purred as he jumped down from the bunk with Keen following closely behind. Swifttail knew that Keen couldn't replace his father, and he didn’t want him to, but at least his grief over losing him was curbed for the time being.


	69. Unexpected Help

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Help can come from anywhere, even from the Empire.

Halftail awoke to a massive pain in his chest. He tried to raise a paw feebly and quickly realized that he couldn’t. He blinked his eyes and realized he was laying on a metal bed with his paws clamped down as well as his half of a tail. His eyes managed to adjust to the light and he realized he was in a prison cell.

He turned his head and saw Kanan on a bed across from him. "Kanan," hissed Halftail in case they were being recorded. "Kanan, wake up!"

Kanan groaned as his eyes opened. He turned his head to the side and grumbled painfully. "Halftail, is that you?"

“No, it's Master Brist! Yes, it's me," snapped Halftail, being more short than he meant to. He shook his head a bit before he blinked his eyes a few more times. "What happened?"

Kanan's head slumped to the side. "The Inquisitor captured us and that's all that I remember. They must have given me something to make me sleep."

Halftail knew that he had been given something to sleep as well, but not in the same way. Before he could say anything else, the doors opened and a silver and white lynx strode forward. She had a satchel slung over her shoulder, which she seemed protective over. She stopped beside Halftail and looked up at him.

“How are you feeling?" Her eyes shone bright blue and it reminded Halftail of Swifttail’s and Bine's eyes. 

Halftail let out a growl. "Why do you care?”

The lynx seemed a bit taken aback. "Because I'm the one who did your surgery," she answered as she undid Halftail's paws from where they were bound. 

Halftail sat up and ran his paws over where he had been bound. "Surgery. I had surgery," he meowed in shock as his eyes narrowed. "And you did it?"

The lynx nodded as she opened her satchel and Halftail saw numerous needles and vials of liquid in there. "You came here in pretty bad shape, but I fixed you up and you should be alright now." 

Halftail wasn't sure about that. He was in immense pain, but he wasn't about to complain. "Thanks for saving my life. I know how bad of shape I was in."

The lynx smiled before she dipped her head. "No problem. I'm Fallowfern by the wall."

Halftail dipped his head back. "I'm Halftail, but you probably already knew that." He watched as she began to flick the point of a needle. "What is that?"

Fallowfern's eyes flickered upward. "It's pain medication. You're up a bit earlier than I expected. You must have something that you're fighting for."

Halftail nodded slowly. "You have no idea." He then waited as Fallowfern extended a paw and took Halftail's paw as she began to rub where she would insert the needle. 

“Now try not to squirm and this should be over quickly," she told him as she inserted one needle and injected some serum before doing it a few more times with different needles.

Halftail hated needles, even though he used them everyday, and just wanted it to be over. "This isn't all pain medication," he mumbled as his head began to feel as if it had been stuffed with fur. "What is it?"

Fallowfern's eyes lit in sympathy. "Some things that they want me to give you to mellow you down a bit. They're afraid you can be a little out of control."

Halftail tried to fight it. The medication took over before he could. "Why work for them when you know all the bad things that they're doing," he inquired as his tongue almost rolled from his mouth because of how swollen it was.

Fallowfern smiled pathetically at Halftail. "I'm sorry Halftail, I don't have a choice," she confessed ass she discarded the needles in her bag. "Now try and get some rest and don't strain yourself. I know you won't like what will happen if you do something painful to yourself."

Halftail's eyes suddenly closed and fell asleep with the aid of the medication. 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Halftail awoke once more, and this time he wasn't on a table, but he had a chain collar around his neck. The end of the chain reached to a pole that was secured to the ground. Halftail groaned as he rose to his paws, his paws feeling numb and tingly, causing him to stagger as he tried to walk. 

“I really hate this feeling," grumbled Halftail as he tried to shake his head, but the chain was too heavy. Instead, he sat and ruffled the fur between his ears with a firm paw. 

“You're not the only one," muttered Kanan. 

Halftail saw that he was still in the same confinement as before. He was able to move a little easier while still being secured down. "Why do they keep drugging us? I feel like I have clouds stuffed in my ears," he complained as he clawed at his ears in frustration. 

“They probably don't want us to know that we're here," Kanan suggested as he turned his head to look at Halftail.

Halftail pulled his head against the chain. He then turned and realized how thick and heavy the chain was. It took all of his strength just to move it a little bit. "I hope that the crew made it out alright."

Kanan let out a sigh. "I'm sure that they did. I heard that you had surgery from that cat. Is that true?"

Halftail turned his attention back to Kanan and stopped trying to move the chain. "Yeah, it's true. I already had a bad injury from the lion and the kick from the Inquisitor just made things worse. Without Fallowfern I probably would have died if she wouldn't have done surgery on me."

“I sense that you have a soft spot for her," Kanan murmured, amusement glittering in his gaze.

Halftail rolled his eyes. He opened his mouth to retort Kanan when the door opened with a low creak. To his surprise he saw the Inquisitor himself with a few soldiers and Fallowfern beside him.

Fallowfern strode over to Halftail with her satchel full of more needles and things to give him. She sat so close to him that their fur brushed. "Keep close to me and I won't let them do anything to hurt you," she whispered in his ear as she picked up some instruments and needles from her bag. "Now keep still."

She injected some hot liquid into Halftail's scruff, but Halftail barely felt it. He was trying to see what they were going to do to Kanan.

“Where are the rebels," pressed the Inquisitor as anger made his voice sound darker than before.

Kanan's eyes hardened. "I don't know any rebels."

Halftail hissed as Fallowfern injected something into his haunch. "Remember to keep quiet or he'll start asking you," she reminded him as she took the needle from his haunch and cast it aside.

The Inquisitor raised a hand and used the force to try and force Kanan to tell him. "What do you see," snapped the Inquisitor with his hand placed almost right in front of Kanan's face.

Halftail wanted to surge forward, but Fallowfern pressed against him to stop him from darting forward and probably snapping his neck. "He's in pain," hissed Halftail as fire burned through his veins.

“I know," sympathized Fallowfern as she forced Halftail to lay down. Once Halftail did, she grabbed more needles and forced him to look up. She forced some burning liquid up Halftail's nose and Halftail struggled not to thrust his head forward. He wasn't sure who was in more pain, him or Kanan.

Kanan gritted his teeth. "I see..." He trailed off before blinking his eyes open. "I see you becoming very frustrated."

The Inquisitor dropped his hand and swore under his breath. "There's another way to make you talk," he pointed out as he motioned for one of the soldiers.

The solider hit a button and electricity began to pulse from the chair and through Kanan. Kanan gasped in pain and Halftail couldn't stop his fear from overwhelming him.

“Kanan," cried Halftail as he darted forward. He surged forward and Fallowfern fell from his back. The chain was pulled as far as it could go and Halftail felt himself being choked. "Leave him alone!"

Fallowfern shook her head before she darted forward and tried to push Halftail back. "Halftail, stop," she begged as her eyes rounded in shock. 

Before Halftail could take her warning, the Inquisitor turned and looked to him. Halftail gulped as he drew back a bit, allowing himself to press against Fallowfern. He didn't want to show his fear, but he was in no position to fight. 

The Inquisitor lowered down and smiled, his strange sharp teeth gleaming at Halftail. "It's a good thing that we have another one to ask the same question to.”

Halftail fluffed out his fur. "Just let Kanan our of that chair. Don't torture him! We don't know anything," he argued as he swung his head. "We were at the wrong place at the wrong time."

“I don't believe you," muttered the Inquisitor as he raised a hand.

Before he could start to use the force, Fallowfern darted forward and braced her shoulders in front of the Inquisitor. "You can't do anything harsh to him or you risk killing him. I've just gave him a high dose of numerous medications," she hissed with fire lighting in her eyes.

“Are you telling me what to do," growled the Inquisitor and Halftail wondered why she was fighting so hard for him.

Fallowfern shook her head. "I'm telling you what you should do. Whether you listen to me or not if up to you. I'm just a healer and the one who preformed his surgery."

The Inquisitor, to Halftail's surprise, actually seemed taken aback. "Then how do you suggest that I get him to talk," he grumbled deeply.

Fallowfern turned her head to look at Halftail. "Let me do it my way and see what I can find out. I don't want anyone to die on our watch."

The Inquisitor reluctantly stood as he used the force to stop the electricity pulsing around Kanan. "Call me back if you get anything out of either of them." He left in a huff with the soldiers following right behind.

Fallowfern let out a sigh of relief and Halftail let out the breath that he didn't even know he was holding. "Thank you, Fallowfern, but why did you do that," inquired Halftail as he kinked his tail over his back.

Fallowfern's whiskers dropped. "I wasn't about to let him kill anyone that he didn't need to, especially someone who hasn't done anything wrong." She whiskered her tail into her satchel before she came back with a picture of two kits. 

“Who are they," Halftail asked as he leaned forward to gain a closer look, but the chain stopped him from getting too far. 

Fallowfern smiled as she passed the picture so that Halftail could see better. "They're my kits," she explained as affection lit in her eyes. "I have two daughters. Their names are Petalfall and Mistyfur. I'm here for them so that the Empire doesn't hurt them. I'm not here because I want to, but while I'm here I'm not going to let them do anything that I know is wrong."

“I don't know anything about any rebels," Halftail murmured after a bit. He didn't want to lie to Fallowfern, but he wasn't sure if he could trust her yet.

Fallowfern dipped her head respectfully. "I wasn't about to pry into that. I just want to make sure that while you're here nothing happens to you." 

Halftail was silent as she began to run her claws through his fur to check for any more injuries. Once she was finished she checked on Kanan. Kanan was spaced out and his eyes threatened to roll back in his head. There wasn't much that Fallowfern could do for him, but she did place something in one of his hands.

Once she was finished, she grabbed her satchel and faced Halftail. "Until tomorrow," she meowed as she touched her nose to his ear. "At least try and get some rest." 

With that she left and Halftail couldn't help but turn to Kanan. "What did she give you," he inquired as his tail stood straight up behind him.

Kanan turned his head groggily and opened his hand. Inside was a coin with a claw scratch against it. "I don't know what it is," Kanan confessed.

Halftail tilted his head in confusion. "I don't know what it is either. It must be important if Fallowfern risked giving it to you," he pointed out before he let out a yawn large enough to show all of his teeth.

“You should get some rest," muttered Kanan as he rested his head on his shoulder. "I'm going to try to too."

The last thing Halftail wanted to do was sleep, but he didn't see how he had much of a choice. "Okay, goodnight," he breathed as he curled up close to the pole to at least try and feel like he was close to someone, even if it was just metal. It took a while on the cold and dusty floor until eventually Halftail drifted off into a deep sleep.


	70. Petalfall and Mistyfur

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Help from the stars may be just what Halftail needs.

Halftail blinked open his eyes and rose to his paws quickly. He raised a paw to his neck and realized there was no chain or even that heavy collar. He let out a yowl of glee and leaped high in the air, pretending to catch something in his long claws before thrusting it down on the grassy ground. He purred in delight as he rolled on his back and felt the grass tickle his pelt. Now this was where a puma should be living.

“Halftail!"

Halftail lifted his head and saw Wildspirit and Sweetsong. Affection made his chest puff out as he darted forward. He touched his nose to each of them in turn and embarrassment washed over him. "I hope you didn't see all that."

Sweetsong's eyes lit in amusement. "Don't worry, we won't tell anyone," she vowed before she kinked her tail over her back. "There's someone here that we would like you to meet."

Halftail tilted his head. "Who?" He knew that Starbound was full of creatures from all planets, but he had never met anyone that he didn't know personally. 

Wildspirit rested his tail across his father's shoulders. "You're just going to have to wait to find out," he answered before nodding to Sweetsong to lead the way.

She happily obliged and strode forward with Wildspirit and Halftail right behind. She led them to a waterfall where Halftail saw two she-cats grooming each other. One was silverish gray with white paws while the other one was dark brown with what looked to be a petal in white fur on her forehead. 

Sweetsong bounded over to the two she-cats and touched noses with each of them in turn. "Halftail, we want you to meet Petalfall and Mistyfur."

Halftail's eyes widened in shock. "You're Fallowfern's kits! Why are you in Starbound? Are you visiting too?" Questions bubbled in his mind and, to his horror, he let them all out at once. "Is Fallowfern visiting too? Could I ask her a question?"

Petalfall rose to her paws and dipped her head in respect. "We live here, Halftail," she confessed and when she looked up, Halftail saw the grief in her eyes.

Mistyfur rushed to her paws beside her sister and leaned so close that their fur brushed. "We were killed a long time ago by a pack of wild dogs."

Halftail's throat went dry. "I-I'm so sorry," he sympathized, unable to think of anything else to say.

Luckily, Mistyfur spoke. "So you know our Mother? How is she doing," she asked as she leaned so close to Halftail that he could smell the cool water scent that clung to her fur.

Halftail didn't know enough about Fallowfern to know exactly how she was doing, but he couldn’t tell Mistyfur that. "She saved my life. She's a very talented healer."

Petalfall puffed out her chest in pride. "That she is. So is Mistyfur," she purred warmly, causing Mistyfall to look at her paws before shuffling them.

“I know about as much as they next cat. I never completed my training before I died," she meowed as she blinked her blue eyes a few times wistfully.

Wildspirit strode over to Mistyfur and Petalfall before he wove around them. "We wanted you to meet them so that they could tell you a little bit more about Fallowfern."

“What's to know," pressed Halftail as he sat and curled his half tail as delicately as he could around his paws.

Mistyfur hooked her head in surprise. "There's plenty to know about our Mother! She joined the Empire when she was just a kit. Actually, she was forced to join the Empire when they raided her planet. She learned to be a healer and that was the only reason they keep her around."

“What about you two," inquired Halftail as he looked at Petalfall's dark brown pelt. "That's certainly not anything like your Mother. You must take after your father."

A growl rolled in Petalfall's throat. "I don't take after anything of that monster," she spat as her claws curled into the rock below. 

Mistyfur's eyes were a bit more sympathetic. "The cat who I guess is our father was not Fallowfern's mate. He left Fallowfern when he knew she was expecting kits. She hadn’t seen him since.” 

Halftail felt his blood boil in his veins at the thought. "Wolf-heart! Do you know who he is?"

Petalfall shook her head. "No. Fallowfern would never tell us since she didn't want us to be hurt like she had been hurt. I still want to know, but I guess it's not really important."

Sweetsong licked Petalfall's ear. "He should be proud to have two kits like you and Mistyfur."

Mistyfur huffed a bit. "I doubt if he cares that much."

“But when I spoke to your Mother, she acted as if you two were still alive," argued Halftail in confusion. "She does know you're dead, right?"

“Of course," scoffed Petalfall as she turned her nose in the air. "It's just hard for her to accept. We were all that she had and we were taken from her. Little does she know that the Empire set those dogs on our trail. The Inquisitor didn't think that Fallowfern should be raising kits, so the easiest way for him to get rid of us was kill us but make it look like it wasn't him."

Halftail couldn't image the darkness that was in the Inquisitor's heart. "Don't worry, I'll let her know," he assured as his eyes lit in affection for them as if they were his own two kits.

“I'm not sure she'll want to know," meowed Sweetsong gently as she strode over to her father and pressed against him. "What do you think she'll do once she finds out?"

Halftail hung his head. "I don't know."

Mistyfur leaned forward and touched her nose to Halftail's nose. "I think that you should tell her. We have never been allowed to see her and now she'll finally know the truth. Right, Petalfall?"

Petalfall smiled broadly. "I agree with Mistyfur. I want you to tell her. She deserves to know what she thought would protect us only resulted in killing us."

“But be careful on how you say it," meowed Wildspirit as he pawed at the ground, the roar of the waterfall nearly drowning out what he was trying to say. "I don't want Fallowfern to do something that she'll end up regretting."

Halftail dipped his head. "No problem," he meowed as he took a step forward and touched his nose to Petalfall's ear before turning and touching his nose to Mistyfur's nose. "It was a pleasure meeting you and I hope that I can see you both again soon."

“You can visit us anytime," assured Mistyfur as she looked to her sister. "We're so thankful that you met our Mother. It's great that she has actually met a nice tom."

Halftail wasn't sure how Mistyfur wanted him to answer, so he turned to Sweetsong and Wildspirit. "Do you think that I could see Bine?"

Wildspirit shook his head. "I'm sorry. They don't want you seeing Bine right now. Besides, it's time that we got you back," he pointed out.

Halftail's shoulder slumped before he finally nodded. "Alright," he muttered as he reluctantly followed his son and daughter to where he had woken up. He laid down and wrapped his tail around his nose. 

“Goodnight, Dad," meowed Sweetsong as she pressed her nose against her father's cheek.

Wildspirit sat beside his sister and dipped his head to his father. "I'll say hello to Bine for you," he meowed as he puffed out his chest fur.

Halftail murmured thanks before he closed his eyes and felt himself drifting off.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

“Halftail. Halftail. Halftail!"

Halftail darted to his paws as he heard his name. He realized it was Kanan and he turned his head sharply; a bit too sharply. The chain was caught on the pole and Halftail wrenched himself. He growled in pain before he lowered his head into his shoulders. "Er, yeah?"

“Are you awake," whispered Kanan.

Halftail squeezed his eyes shut. "I am now. Do you need something?"

Kanan jerked his hand before something fell and nearly hit Halftail on the muzzle. He looked up and realized it was the coin that Fallowfern had given him. "What are you giving this to me for?”

“They can't know that I have it, but I'm sure Fallowfern gave it to us for a reason. You have to hold onto it," Kanan hissed under his breath, and by the way that it rasped in his throat, Halftail could tell that he hadn't got much sleep the night before.

Halftail nodded, but realized Kanan couldn't see him. "You can count on me," meowed Halftail as he tucked the coin in his pad and felt the coolness ripple through him. He couldn't help but wonder why Fallowfern gave it to them. He couldn't ask about it until he knew that Fallowfern was going to be alone.

After a while of just laying there, Halftail decided that he was going to try to make it out. He had been chained before and all he had to do to get out was take out tufts of his chest fur and he had been able to get out. However, the Inquisitor was clever. They had made it tight enough that it was right against flesh, not fur. There was no way that he would be able to get out that way.

The chain was also too thick and heavy for Halftail to gnaw or even claw his way out. The chain was too heavy for him to even move it with his muzzle or drag it in his mouth. He had tried tugging on it or looking at the pole, but that hadn't done any good either. All it had done was wear Halftail out. 

“I would stop trying that," murmured a smooth voice and Halftail knew that it was the Inquisitor. Halftail turned his head and bared his teeth as he saw him.

The Inquisitor lowered down and Halftail charged in his direction. The Inquisitor just lifted a hand and used the force to halt him. Halftail tried to push against it, but his paws slipped and he ended up just falling harshly on his jaw. "What do you care if I choke myself," he sputtered as he forced himself back up to aching paws.

The Inquisitor chuckled. "I couldn't care less what you do, as long as you stay where you are," he replied before he looked over his shoulder. "Fallowfern!"

The silver she-cat popped her head in before she bounded down the stairs. "Yes," she meowed hesitantly as her whiskers twitched. 

The Inquisitor motioned her forward and she reluctantly padded forward. "What did you find out from these two yesterday," he asked as he stood up straight.

Fallowfern let out a breath. "Nothing useful. They kept denying that they had anything to do with the rebels. There's nothing more we can do."

The Inquisitor wasn't sure about that, but it wasn't like he could argue Fallowfern. "If you're sure about that," muttered the Inquisitor.

Fallowfern puffed out her chest fur. "I'm positive."

Fallowfern then nodded to Halftail. Halftail knew what she meant. He took out the coin that he had pushed into his pads. He suddenly thrust it toward the Inquisitor. It sliced through his face, just above his eye.

The Inquisitor seethed in rage. Halftail swore under his breath. He turned his head and narrowed his eyes at Halftail. "How did you get that?!"

Halftail set his jaw in determination. "You did this," he shouted at Fallowfern and Fallowfern didn't even try to deny it.

“What you do is wrong and you know it," she spat as her shoulders tensed as if she was ready to jump at him.

To Halftail's shock, he took both Halftail and Fallowfern by the scruff. He then threw them against the ground and the air was knocked out of Halftail. It was then that he and Fallowfern received the worst beating of their lives.


	71. Help Will Come

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> While Halftail grows increasingly more worried for himself and Fallowfern, Swifttail deals with his worry in an different way.

After the brutal beating, Halftail woke up. He groaned in pain, a deep ache settling in every fiber of his being. He didn't even want to turn because he knew how bad he probably looked. He could feel every bruise and painful mark on his body and he wanted nothing more just to fall asleep and see Bine. However, as a Jedi, that wasn't what he was trained to do.

He heard a groan and realized it was Fallowfern. "Fallowfern," he sputtered as he dragged himself over and pushed his muzzle against her cheek. 

She lifted her head weakly and Halftail realized that she looked even more battered than he was. "Er, Halftail, is that you? I can't see very well."

Halftail saw that her eyes were nearly swollen shut. He began to lap at them gingerly. "Yes, it's me. I'm so sorry that this happened to you!" His voice rose to a wail and Halftail struggled to contain the pain that he felt. This was all his fault!

Fallowfern purred hollowly as she touched her nose to his. "It wasn't your fault, Halftail," assured Fallowfern and Halftail could see the affection in her voice. "You did what I told you to do. Besides, I don't think that I would have lasted here much longer."

Halftail rose to his paws, but he slumped down heavily. He whimpered in pain and was about to look over his shoulder, but Fallowfern let out a whimper as she shook her head. "I wouldn't look if I were you. I can see from here and it's not pretty."

Halftail turned himself around and crawled over to Fallowfern. "Let me at least try and see if I can do anything for your wounds. You don't deserve to be in pain like this," he sniffed as tears shown in his eyes.

Fallowfern looked up gratefully, although her eyes were still swollen shut. "Okay. I'll clean your wounds as well. It's not fair that only I get to have the special treatment." Her voice was light, yet Halftail could feel the pain in it.

Halftail allowed her to lap at his back while he did hers. The cool and frequent rasp of Fallowfern's tongue on his back made the brutal beating not feel as painful. He just hoped he was doing the same for Fallowfern. "I...er....met with someone that you may want to know about last night."

Fallowfern stopped her licking for a heartbeat before continuing. "Who? Was it in a dream?"

“Sort of," answered Halftail as he ran his tongue over the most black and blue mark on Fallowfern's back under her fur. It was near her shoulder and when he touched it, she flinched. "I went to Starbound, the animal heaven, and I saw your kits."

Fallowfern stopped grooming Halftail and her breath seemed caught in her throat. "You saw them?! You really saw them?!" Her heart seemed to beat a mile a minute in her chest.

Halftail's eyes lit in sympathy. "Yes I did. They're beautiful and so smart," he meowed as he remembered Mistyfur and Petalfall standing in front of him. "They wanted me to tell you something."

“What," asked Fallowfern as her whiskers rose a bit. "I'd do anything to be able to hear their voices again."

Halftail grimaced. "They said that the Empire was the one that killed them. They set those wild dogs on their scent and that's when they were killed."

Fallowfern’s eyes rounded in horror. "I had no idea. They killed my kits!"

The sound of her screech could have woken up anyone on the ship. Halftail knew the grief that she felt. He had felt the same when when Bine, Sweetsong, and Wildspirit had died. "I'm so sorry, Fallowfern," he meowed gently.

Fallowfern's fur stood on end. "I can't just let them get away with this. They were the most important things to me and they were killed," she whimpered as she sat up and hung her head.

Halftail rose to his paws and pressed against her before resting his paw on hers. "We won't," he vowed as he licked her cheek. "I promise you that."

“What are we going to do," wondered Fallowfern as she turned her swollen eyes to Halftail.

Halftail worked his claws against the ground as he thought about what they could do. Nothing much from the cell, but they would have to get out sooner or later. "I have a feeling that we may have company," he whispered in her ear.

She twitched her ear once he spoke. "Your rebel friends?"

Halftail dipped his head. "You're smarter than you look," he joked affectionately as he blinked his eyes. "I don't know when they're going to be coming, but they will be coming, I can feel it in my paws."

“Do you think that they would allow me to come with you," wondered Fallowfern as she puffed out her chest hopefully.

“Of course," exclaimed Halftail as he kinked his tail over his back. "We're rebels, but the Empire is much more cruel than we'll ever be," he pointed out as he gave his head a much needed shake.

Fallowfern let out a breath of relief. "Thank you, Halftail."

Halftail shuffled his paws in embarrassment. "No problem!"

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

“No. Dad. Dad!"

Birchfoot looked up from where he was laying beside Swifttail. His apprentice suddenly kicked out a hind leg and it jabbed Birchfoot in the ribs. He hissed in pain before he stretched out a paw and nudged Swifttail. "Swifttail. Swifttail, wake up," he urged in a whisper.

Swifttail blinked open his eyes and let out a wail. It split through the den and Birchfoot grimaced at the harsh sound. Swifttail sat up and looked around, his fur clinging to his body thanks to all the sweat that he was secreting. Once he realized that it was just a dream, he raised a paw and brushed it against his fur. "I'm sorry, Birchfoot."

Birchfoot forced a smile before he licked Swifttail's cheek. "It's alright, Swifttail. I didn't really need a lot of sleep anyway," he chuckled warmly.

However, Swifttail didn't laugh. "I just can't stop thinking about Dad," he confessed as he sat and curled his tail around his paws.

Birchfoot frowned as he sat up next to Swifttail and curled his own tail around him. "I know that this is hard for you, but we're going to find him and get him back, I promise," he vowed as he began to lick Swifttail's shoulder in an effort to calm him.

Swifttail turned away. "How can you be so sure? We've been looking for him and haven't found him yet," he argued as he slumped down and rested his head on his paws.

Birchfoot stifled a sigh. "You can't give up hope, Swifttail. Would your father want that?"

Swifttail shrugged. "I don't know. He's not here or I might be able to tell you," he replied as he plastered his ears against his head. "I wish I had been the one to be kidnapped, not him."

“Don't say that," scolded Birchfoot as he cuffed Swifttail's plastered ear. "How do you think your father would be if you had been kidnapped?"

Swifttail sighed and shook his head. "I don't know. I guess he'd be sad but-"

“Sad," echoed Birchfoot in utter shock. "He would be more than just 'sad.' You don't remember how hard he took it when he lost your mother, but I do, and it wasn't pretty. He probably wouldn't have taken your capture very well at all!"

Swifttail blinked tears from his eyes. "Why do so many terrible things happen to us," he wondered out loud.

Birchfoot slumped down next to Swifttail, leaning over to he touch his nose to his ear. "I don't know," he answered with a shrug. "I don't know why things happen the way that they do, but I do know that they happen for a reason. I just don't know what that reason is. I just know that your father wouldn't want you to worry like this."

“I can't just act like nothing happened, Brichfoot," he pointed out.

“And I'm not asking you to. Just remember that we're going to get them back. We're never going to stop. Do you really think that Hera will ever give up on Kanan," pressed Birchfoot.

Swifttail purred in amusement. "I guess you're right. Do you think that when we find them it'll get us any closer to winning this war?"

Birchfoot yawned as he closed his eyes. "I don't know," he mumbled as exhaustion washed over him. "But why don't you contemplate that in your dreams?"

Swifttail sighed as he rested his head on his paws. He closed his eyes and drifted off in the company of his mentor.

The next morning, Swifttail was the first one awake and he decided to go out hunting. He was about halfway out of the hanger when Keen darted out next to him. "Do you mind if I join you, Swifttail?"

Swifttail dipped his head. "Not at all, Keen! Besides the more of us that go out there hunting, the more prey we should be able to share with the rest of the crew!"

Keen jumped excitedly on his paws before he sprang forward with his wings spread. Swifttail purred in amusement, sailing after him and kicking up dirt behind him excitedly. Swifttail remembered when he used to hunt with Halftail like this, but he was trying to get his father out of his mind.

Keen suddenly stopped abruptly and lowered into a crouch. Swifttail did the same and the two stalked forward. Swifttail saw the creature first. It was a mouse, or at least it was part mouse. The other part Swifttail didn't know and really didn't want to know. He leaped and so did Keen. Keen landed on the tail while Swifttail sunk his teeth into the neck to kill it. Once he had, Keen leaped up from the tail.

“Good job," praised Swifttail as he dropped the mouse. "If you wouldn't have pinned it I wouldn't have been able to get it."

Keen narrowed his eyes. "Don't lie," he snapped as his fur bristled. "I know that I'm not a great help, or a help at all. If anything I'm a hinderance."

“You are not," snapped Swifttail as he pressed against his friend and purred. "You're the strongest, smartest, and most talented wolf I that I know."

Keen blushed. "You really think so?"

Swifttail flicked his tail against Keen's shoulder fondly. "I know so!"

He suddenly angled his ears as he heard Adlerleaf calling. "Come on," he meowed quickly as he picked up the puny mouse, hardly enough to feed him or Keen, let along the whole crew. Keen darted after Swifttail before they made it to the hanger door.

Adlerleaf flicked her tail tip. "I think that we're going after Kanan and Halftail! Chopper managed to find out their position," she exclaimed as she bounced on her paws.

Swifttail couldn't help a purr from rolling in his throat at Keen jumped up and down. "We'll finally be able to rescue them," exclaimed Keen as he licked Adlerleaf's cheek before he bounded into the Ghost.

Adlerleaf smiled a bit at Swifttail. "Nice mouse," she meowed as she looked at the creature that dangled by the tail from Swifttail's mouth.

Swifttail shook his head in embarrassment. "Er, I wish we could have gotten something bigger but this is all that we saw," he meowed before he tossed it to her. "If you'd like you can have it."

Adlerleaf chuckled before she pressed against Swifttail. "Keen can have it," she meowed as she licked his cheek affectionately. "How are you holding up?"

Swifttail intertwined his tail with hers. "Better now that I'm with you," he answered as he rested his head against her shoulder and purred loudly.

“Come on, come on," chanted Keen as he appeared at the door. "Hera won't go over the plan until you two are there."

Swifttail purred as he darted forward. "We're coming," he chided in amusement with Adlerleaf bounding at his side. They strode into the cockpit and Swifttail realized they were the last ones. 

“Now that we're all here we can discuss this plan," Hera muttered as she narrowed her eyes at Swifttail and Adlerleaf.

Swifttail look at his chest fur in embarrassment. "Sorry," he puffed.

Hera didn't say anything as she looked to the group. "We know where Kanan and Halftail are being held. That just means that we need to get aboard without us being spotted."

“I take it that means we can't use the Ghost," murmured Bluefeather as she lashed her tail in frustration.

Keen bounced on his paws. "What about the TIE?"

Bluefeather and Hera looked sideways at Keen. "The TIE was destroyed, wasn't it," inquired Hera as anger seemed to be buried in her voice.

Zeb rubbed a hand behind his head. "Well, we thought that we might need it for later." 

Bluefeather rolled her eyes. "We need it now, so I suppose that it's our best bet to actually using it. Why don't you all lead us where it is?”

Swifttail and Adlerleaf exchanged a glance, but didn't say anything. Eventually it was Molis that rose to his paws and flicked his tail. "Follow me. I'll take you to it."

The rest of the group followed reluctantly. Once they arrived at the TIE, Swifttail readied for the scolding that would inevitably come. "What happened to it," snapped Hera.

Swifttail's pelt prickled as he looked at the brightly colored TIE. It had been died in vibrant colors that could be seen for miles away. There were designs etched in it as well. “Er we thought we'd let Sabine paint it. It wasn't like we actually thought we would use it."

Bluefeather and Hera looked like they wanted to say something in anger. However, now wasn’t the time. “Okay. Let's just get this over with."


	72. Last Fight

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> An escape always comes with a fight.

Halftail laid curled around Fallowfern, trying to keep her warm. He knew that he wasn't doing a very good job because she kept shivering in her sleep. It wasn't long before Fallowfern sensed that Halftail was awake, causing her to raise her head.

“You're up early," she commented and Halftail was pleased that the swelling had gone down dramatically. 

Halftail tilted his head. "How can you even tell the time? We're in space," he pointed out as he licked what appeared to be a still black and blue mark on her shoulder, directly under her fur. 

Fallowfern purred in amusement. "I have some tricks," she replied as she licked a paw and drew it over each of her ears in turn. "Besides, I've been living on ships for how many moons now?”

Halftail nodded in understanding before he rose to his paws and tried to drag himself over to Kanan. "Kanan? Kanan, are you asleep?" 

“Not anymore," he muttered as he opened his eyes and looked over at Halftail. "Is something wrong?"

Halftail shook his head. "I was just wondering if you could sense anything through the bond you have with Ezra," he pressed, hoping that he could.

Kanan sighed. "No. I can't even feel anything through the force right now. How about you with either Keen or Swifttail?"

Halftail lashed his tail in frustration before kinking it over his back. "No. I haven't felt anything, but that doesn't mean that they're not okay," he pointed out stubbornly.

He turned to walk away, but a sharp gasp from Kanan caught Halftail in surprise. "Is that what happened with the Inquisitor," asked Kanan, stunned.

Halftail blinked his eyes in embarrassment that Kanan had seen his injuries. Beside him, Fallowfern's eyes lit in sympathy. "Yes, well, I didn't think that it looked that bad. I haven't seen it," he confessed as he tried not to sound hurt.

Fallowfern rose to her own paws and pressed against Halftail to try and comfort him. "I think that it looks great! At least it looks better than yesterday," she assured as she licked his ear tip.

Halftail didn't believe her. "How does it really look, Fallowfern," he wondered as he longed to try and look at his back. He knew it felt awful with sharp pulses of pain flowing through him.

Fallowfern kinked her tail over Halftail's back. "It's not bad at all, Halftail. Kanan just didn't see you when it first happened. It looks a lot better than yesterday."

Halftail nodded before he lowered down and curled his tail around himself, suddenly not wanting Kanan nor Fallowfern to look at him. He couldn't stop them from looking, though, so he just sighed heavily. Fallowfern laid beside him with gentleness lighting in her eyes. "It's alright. You were still the handsome tom that walked in here."

Halftail huffed in disagreement. Before he could say anything else, the door swung open the the Inquisitor walked in. Fallowfern hissed as he drew near, picking her up by the scruff and throwing her to the nearest Stormtrooper. "Get her out of my sight and bring her to the bridge. There's some things I need to discuss with her.”

“Fallowfern," cried Halftail. He bunched his muscles, ready to dart forward, but the Inquisitor used the force and pushed the chain back. Halftail went with the chain and lowered to the ground, shaking his head as he tried to clear it as he snapped against the pole.

The Inquisitor lowered down beside Halftail and Halftail hissed as he bared his teeth in the beginning of a snarl. "Don't be that angry, Halftail, or should I call you Mietro?"

Halftail's fur stood on end. "My name is Halftail," he told the Inquisitor tersely. "I haven't been known as Mietro for years."

The Inquisitor nodded as he forced his face closer to Halftail's muzzle. "I know you stopped being called that once you lost half of your tail. I also know that you should have never become a Jedi with all the health problems you have. I also know that you take a serum to keep yourself from dying and I know what happens when you don't have it for a few days."

Halftail struck out a paw, but it just missed the Inquisitor's face. "And what do you care? Aren't you going to kill me anyway? It would be doing me a favor to bring me out of this misery!"

The Inquisitor shook his head as he ran his cold fingers through Halftail's fur. "I have other plans for a cat like you. You're smart like your Master, but not nearly as brave."

“What do you know about it," spat Halftail through gritted teeth.

“Enough," answered the Inquisitor as he rose to his feet. "I know that without him you would have been cast out of the Jedi Order because how frail and weak you were. It surprised me more than anyone else that it was you who survived Order 66." 

Halftail looked at his paws as a wave of numbness washed over him. Saying something wasn't about to make what the Inquisitor had said sting any less. 

The Inquisitor then turned to Kanan with the same fire in his eyes. Halftail felt anger toward himself for being pleased that he wasn't going to bother him at least for a little bit. 

“Don't think I've forgotten about you. How do you think your rebel friends would feel if they knew that you were coward? I know how you survived Order 66 despite having Halftail to lug along with you," he murmured silkily. 

Kanan's eyes flashed. "I wanted him with me! If I didn't then I wouldn't have had him with me. Besides, he helps me," Kanan growled before looking over to Halftail.

Halftail perked up at Kanan’s kind words, but the Inquisitor stood in front of him and blocked his path. "Of course he helps you. After all, your Master helped you. What was the last thing she told you to do?" Kanan grimaced as realization pulsed through him. “You hear it in your sleep. You hear her calling and crying for you. And just when you think it's over you hear her voice again. What did she say? What was that one word?"

“Run," choked out Kanan.

“And you did like a coward you are! You left her to die while you and Halftail made haste. I don't even think that you ever cared about her," muttered the Inquisitor as the ship began to shake.

Halftail felt sick to his stomach, but he pushed it down since the Inquisitor's words had sliced him so deep. He ignored it and waited for the Inquisitor to leave before he looked up to Kanan. "Thanks for backing me up back there. You didn't have to lie for me," he grumbled.

Kanan breathed heavily. "I didn't, Halftail. Do you know how much you've helped me see joy in things again? I know you probably don't. One day I hope you will start to believe it. Until then, I’ll be the one telling you it.”

Halftail brightened and pricked up his ears. "Don't listen to what the Inquisitor says about you running. She told you to and I did the same with Master Brist."

Kanan shook his head. "No, you wanted to stay and I dragged you backwards. That's when your tail was shot at and you lost half of it. Just one stupid mistake on my part after the other."

Halftail wanted to reassure him, but the ground shook again under his paws before he could. He couldn't help but hunker down with his underbelly grazing the ground. "What in StarBound’s name is going on out there," he gasped with his whiskers twitching in alarm. 

Suddenly, the scent of Swifttail, Keen, and Ezra bathed Halftail's tongue. He didn't say anything, just in case his mind was playing tricks on him. But to his surprise and excitement the door opened and out shot all three of them.

“Dad," cried Swifttail as he darted forward and pressed his nose against Halftail's cheek. Halftail couldn't stop purring as he pressed against his son’s touch.

Keen waltzed over. "It's great to see you, Halftail," he yipped as his tail wagged madly behind him.

“You all were fish-brained to come, but I'm glad you did," chuckled Halftail as he touched his tail to Keen's ear.

Ezra smiled at he looked to Halftail and then to Kanan. "No one gets left behind in this family," he pointed out, making Halftail's heart soar.

Halftail then flicked his tail to the chain and collar around his neck. Swifttail was about to take out his lightsaber for the impending attack, but Keen beat him to it. "Let me redeem myself from the last time that I used a lightsaber." Swifttail nodding in understanding. He padded it over with Keen taking it quickly. Keen gingerly sliced his lightsaber against Halftail's chain collar, breaking him free.

Halftail let out a breath at relief as he staggered forward. Swifttail and Keen propped him up on either side while Ezra helped Kanan. The group made it up the stairs and into the corridors of the ship. They strode through the middle of a long hallway for a shortcut, and it was there that Halftail caught sight of the Inquisitor. 

“What are we going to do," whimpered Keen as terror showed in his eyes.

Halftail bunched his weak shoulders."We're going to end this once and for all. I'm tired of constantly worrying that he's going to be around the corner." 

Swifttail stood and activated his lightsaber. Keen did the same, but Halftail didn't have his lightsaber. That didn't mean he couldn't fight. 

However, before he could, the Inquisitor lifted Fallowfern with the force in front of him. Halftail gasped in shock as he saw Fallowfern. The Inquisitor threw Fallowfern and she yowled as she skidded across the bridge and fell halfway off of it.

“Fallowfern," cried Halftail as he surged forward. He stopped in front of her and lowered his head. He sunk his teeth into her scruff and hauled her feebly up the ledge. "I got you." 

He set her down and she panted madly. "Thanks, Halftail. I thought that I was going to die," she breathed madly.

“I'm not going to let that happen," he assured before the Inquisitor darted forward. Halftail pushed Fallowfern behind him as Swifttail, Keen, and Kanan darted forward. Halftail pelted over to Ezra and bunched his muscles. 

Halftail suddenly watched as the Inquisitor turned and kicked his foot against Swifttail's shoulder. Swifttail stumbled and Halftail gasped as he lost his footing and plummeted over the ledge. "No," waited Halftail, but when he tried to surge forward, Fallowfern stopped him.

“I got Swifttail," called Keen as he flapped his wings and flew down below and landed beside Swifttail. Keen tossed up Swifttail's lightsaber and Halftail caught it easily. 

He spun on his paws quickly and faced the Inquisitor with Kanan doing the same. The Inquisitor had no trouble deflecting both of them, but that didn't mean that Halftail was going to give up anytime soon. He was ready for anything and that included taking on the Inquisitor, even without his lightsaber.

Halftail saw his and Kanan's lightsaber and used the force to pull the two to him He deactivated Swifttail's lightsaber and allowed it to fall on his belt. He then tossed Kanan's lightsaber to him and Kanan caught it easily.

The Inquisitor approached Halftail and used the force to push him backwards. Halftail skidded dangerously close to the edge, claws scraping the ground. He took one more unexpected step backwards and fell harshly. He landed on the side of another ledge, threatening to skid off of that one as well. He grunted as he rose to his paws and looked to see Keen struggling to wake up Swifttail.

“Swifttail, Swifttail, wake up," begged Keen as he shook Swifttail shoulders head madly.

Swifttail groaned in pain, blood dripping from his nose. Halftail prayed it wasn't serious as he bounded over to his son and Keen. Before he could make it very far Ezra fell in front of him and Halftail leaped back in shock.

Ezra blinked open his eyes and they seemed to bore into Halftail. "H-Halftail?"

Halftail dipped his head as he helped Ezra to his feet. "Come on. Kanan can't be with the Inquisitor alone for long," he fretted before he and Ezra bounded toward Swifttail and Keen.

“I think he hit his head," barked Keen in alarm as he looked at the blood traveling from Swifttail's nose.

Halftail nodded in understanding before picking up Swifttail by the scruff and tossing him onto Keen's broad shoulders. "Take him up and keep him away from the fighting. Ezra and should be able to jump up."

Keen dipped his head in understanding. He spread his powerful wings and flew upward. Halftail turned to Ezra and readied to jump, but Ezra looked hesitant. "What's wrong," asked Halftail shortly. They didn't have time for this.

“I don't think I can do it," Ezra argued as his eyes turned as round as moons.

Halftail gritted his teeth as he forced Ezra to lower down and look into his eyes. "We have to do this. We have to do this for Kanan, for Swifttail, for Keen, and for everyone else. Understand?"

Ezra gulped before nodding and Halftail lowered down, bunching his muscles. He leaped upward and his front half made over the ledge, but his hindquarters dangled for a few heartbeats. He sunk his claws into the edge of the ledge and prayed that he wouldn't fall. He didn't need any more jostling.

Ezra jumped and used the force, but he came up short. He grasped Halftail half tail and Halftail let out the more earsplitting wail that Keen had ever heard. "Sorry," called Ezra as both him and Halftail began to fall backwards.

"No," cried Halftail as he clawed feebly at whatever he could.

To his relief Keen surged forward and sunk his claws into Halftail's paws before he could plummet back down. He then sunk his teeth into Halftail's shoulder and tried to haul him up. Once he could reach Ezra he allowed Ezra to grab hold of his shoulders. Keen drew backwards and managed to bring Ezra up while still pulling Halftail along with him. Keen then fell on his underbelly, panting madly once they were all safe beside him.

“Never do that again," he gasped as he struggled to suck in any breath into his heaving lungs.

Halftail didn't have time to rest. He had to help Kanan. He bounded forward and painfully rose on his hind legs, feeling like he was about to fall over at any heartbeat. "I got this," he whispered into his chest fur. 

He surged forward and pushed the Inquisitor away from Kanan. "Halftail," Kanan cried in relief.

Halftail struck another pose and thrust his lightsaber against the Inquisitor's. "Don't count me out yet," he sputtered as he felt a fresh wave of pain wash through his entire body. 

Halftail suddenly saw the Inquisitor's eyes travel to Swifttail, Keen, and Ezra. The Inquisitor leaped over Kanan and Halftail easilyHalftail bunched his muscles, not about to let him go near them.

To Halftail's surprise, Keen was the one that stepped forward. "Leave my friends alone," he snarled as he snapped his jaws dangerously. 

He didn't seem that threatening and it was no surprise when the Inquisitor pushed him back with the force. That left Swifttail and Ezra. Both were really in no shape to fighting so Halftail knew that he had to be the swiftest. 

He surged forward and blocked the Inquisitor's path from Swifttail and Ezra. "Leave my sons alone," he yowled as he puffed out his chest fur. 

The Inquisitor was about to attack when Swifttail rose to his paws. "The force on three," he suggested as he pressed against his father, struggling to stand. Halftail nodded and the two raised their paws. "One. Two. Three!"

The two used as much force as they could muster and the Inquisitor actually fell backwards. He stumbled off the ledge and Halftail watched in pleasure as he did. He was only holding on by his finger tips. Halftail and Swifttail strode over and looked down in scorn at him.

“Should we push him or let him fall to his death," wondered Swifttail as he flicked his tail to and fro.

Halftail narrowed his eyes. "I say let him fall. How would we be if we would push," he pointed out as he worked his claws on the edge of the ledge.

Fallowfern suddenly waltzed up and sunk her claws into one of the Inquisitor's hands. "This is for my daughters," she spat in his ear.

Suddenly, the Inquisitor reached up his hand and grabbed Fallofern's throat before letting go and Halftail watched as he plummeted below into fire and whatever else was below, Fallowfern tumbling with him with a panicked wail. 

“No! Fallowfern," wailed Halftail as his eyes filled with tears. He let out a few silent sobs before he saw the starry figure of Fallowfern standing beside Mistyfur and Petalfall in the sky in front of him. Stunned, he took a step back, breathing heavily. As quickly as the image came, it left and Halftail was left standing in shock.

“Come on," Keen suddenly called as his eyes rounded. "We can't stay here forever."

Halftail snapped out of it swiftly before he looked to Swifttail. "Will you be alright or do you need Keen or I to carry you?"

Swifttail puffed out his chest defiantly. "I'll be fine. I'm stronger than I look," he pointed out as he sprang forward, staggering from his head trauma. Halftail bounded to his son's side and propped him up and the two bounded forward. The group of them made it to the ship's hanger and when Halftail saw the TIE he nearly jumped out of his fur. 

“What happened to that thing," asked Halftail in terror.

Swifttail sighed heavily. "It's a long story that we can answer later."

They made their way across the hanger and they all made their toward the TIE and another Imperial ship. Halftail followed the group, but his body was starting to fail on him and he kept stumbling. Swifttail noticed his father falling behind and sunk his teeth into his scruff, despite his own balance problems, and staggered forward. 

They made it into the Imperial cruiser and it wasn't long before Hera booted it up. "Hold on," she called.

Halftail slumped on the ground of the ship with Swifttail at his side. Halftail felt the ship moving, but him and Swifttail were almost in a haze. 

Keen strode over to Halftail and Swifttail before lowering his muzzle. "We docked with the Ghost. Come on,” he urged gently.

“Wait, who's flying the Ghost," inquired Swifttail before Adlerleaf came over and licked the blood that trickled from his nose. Birchfoot came over as well and blinked his eyes in surprise at how battered they seemed.

“It's good to see you again, Halftail," he purred as he touched his nose to Halftail's ear.

Halftail purred back at Birchfoot. "Likewise, but who if flying the Ghost,” he repeated.

Birchfoot shrugged. "I have no idea, but I do know one way to find out." He helped Halftail to his paws before the crew made their way through the bridge that connected the two ships. 

There were rebels standing on either side, standing at attention. That made the fur along Halftail's spine stand on end even more than it had been already. They passed through the door at the end of the hall, and that was when something caught Halftail's eye.

There was a female Togruta with long headtails and two lightsabers hanging from her waist. There was another rebel behind sitting her. It was a beautiful pure black furred black panther with strange almost misty blue eyes. 

Halftail heard Adlerleaf and Birchfoot let out gasps in shock as they caught sight of her. "Do you know them," asked Molis as he flicked his tail tip.

Birchfoot blinked his eyes a few times while Adlerleaf just stood in shock. "Mother?"


	73. Reunited Again

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A reunion is just what they needed.

The black panther's ears suddenly twitched as she took a step forward, her muscles tensed as if she was ready to fight. Her ears were constantly turning on her head and Halftail wondered if hearing was her strongest sense.

“Mother, it's us," meowed Birchfoot as he took a hesitant step forward, Adlerleaf right behind.

The she-cat growled quickly and Birchfoot got the warning. He took a step back and warned Adlerleaf to do the same. "Mother, it's Adler and Birch," Adlerleaf introduced as if they had never met before.

The she-cat's eyes changed from the misty blue to now a hazy blue. "Adler, Birch," she asked as she tilted her head in confusion.

Birchfoot couldn't stop from purring out loud. "Yes, it's us!"

Realization dawned on her. The she-cat sprang forward and touched her nose to Birchfoot's cheek before turning and pressing herself against Adlerleaf. "Oh, my precious kits!"

“This is your mother," Swifttail gasped in surprise. "What a small galaxy."

The she-cat puffed out her fur. "Who is this," she sniffed as she wrinkled her muzzle at Swifttail. "He smells like a cross between a snow leopard and a puma."

Swifttail took a step back in surprise. "I smell like those creatures? Can't you just tell by looking at me?"

Hurt flashed in the she-cat's eyes, but it was replaced quickly by fury. Before she could say anything, the other rebel leaned down and rested a hand on the she-cat's shoulder. "Brook was born blind. She can't see."

Swifttail shuffled his paws in embarrassment, feeling like a complete jerk for not realizing it sooner. "I'm so sorry! I didn't know," he apologized quickly as he struggled not to let his embarrassment show.

Brook just huffed before Adlerleaf wound around Swifttail. "Mom, this is my mate, Swifttail."

“Mate," Brook and Halftail echoed at the same time.

Adlerleaf nodded shyly before she flicked her tail to Halftail. "And this is Swifttail's father: Halftail. He's the leader here along with Kanan."

Brook dipped her head respectfully to Halftail. "I've heard a lot of good things about you, Halftail. I hope that your son lives up to your legacy," she meowed gently.

Halftail dipped his head back before shooting a look at Swifttail. "You and me both," he muttered. "Thank you, I suppose, for saving all of our lives."

“You did most of the work," pointed out Brook as she flicked a paw toward the crew. "You all did. We've heard a lot about each and every one of you."

Keen took a frightened step forward. "Who are you two?"

“Fulcrum," answered Hera as she looked to the rebel.

The rebel smiled. "It's Ahsoka. Ahsoka Tano. And as I said before, this is Brook."

Bluefeather shuffled her paws. "Those are both beautiful names. How did you find us," she wondered intently, her eyes blinking slowly.

Brook purred softly. “You're not that hard to find, believe it or not. We've just been following wherever we got the most news about you. You’re certainly are the rebels that your legacy has made you out to be. I'm just glad that we could help you when we did."

“Does this mean that the war is over," asked Sabine as she looked to Ahsoka.

Ahsoka shook her head gravely. "I'm afraid it's far from it. We are going to have a lot more fights to fight and a lot more battles to win before this war is over."

Halftail blinked his eyes. "Then we'll stand together and fight," he meowed as he pressed against his son, nodding fondly. "After all rebels fight together."

The whole crew cheered before Adlerleaf kinked her tail over her back. "Would you like me show you around," she offered to Brook and Ahsoka.

The two nodded while Adlerleaf bounded forward with Ahsoka and Brook following. Birchfoot staggered behind, managing to keep up quite nicely. Once everyone was mostly gone and settled for the evening, Halftail lowered down and nearly collapsed in utter exhaustion. 

Kanan lowered down and picked up Halftail gingerly. "I think we could both use a good night's rest."

Halftail purred warmly. "You got that right! I feel like a starship fell on me," he chuckled as Kanan carried them to their room before pushing past Brook, Ahsoka, and Adlerleaf. 

Kanan set Halftail at the foot of the bed before passing him the serum. "Here, you might need this."

Halftail took it gratefully and injected as much as he possibly could into his vein. Once he was finished he cast it aside before falling on his back. Kanan came over and sat on the bed with his head in his hands. "I'm glad this is all over," he sighed.

Halftail let out a low sigh. "You know that won't happen," Halftail pointed out as he licked a paw before combing it over his ears. "I mean, you can pray that it does, but don't expect it to. Optimism isn't going to save us now, Kanan."

Kanan sighed as he laid back, his head facing the ceiling. "You know that I don't think any less of you because of your history, right?"

Halftail twitched his ear before he drew close to Kanan and touched his nose to Kanan's shoulder. "And I don't think any less of you. You may have ran, but I did too. I guess that makes us both cowards." He chuckled as his whiskers drooped.

Kanan ruffled the fur between Kanan's ears. "I would never think of you as a coward."

Halftail's eyes gleamed as he looked up. "And I have never, nor will I ever, think of you as a coward either," he meowed silkily as he wove around Kanan with his tail itching.

Kanan stroked him down his spine until he yawned and used the force to turn off the lights. "Let's get some sleep. It's late and I know that I really want to sleep laying down."

Halftail purred in amusement, but it was quickly choked by an unyielding grief. The image of Fallowfern falling to her death flashed in front of him when he closed his eyes. She was happy now; that much was known. It didn’t mean the sting of her death hurt any less. Halftail had been through so much and he wasn’t sure how much more he could take.


	74. Rescuing The Enemy

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Time has passed since the fight with the Inquisitor and things haven’t been the same.

Moons Later

Moons had past since Halftail had realized that they hadn't been alone in their fight against the Empire or since he had been saved from the Inquisitor. Training had intensified for Swifttail, Keen, and Ezra. However, now they went on missions with other rebels, not just by themselves. This made cargo trips easier and Halftail even admitted to having fun on them. The only thing that he couldn't shake was how Swifttail had said that Adlerleaf was now his mate. That was something that made his whole body shake and shiver just at the thought. 

There was a special mission that Brook had requested that Halftail and the rest of the crew on the Ghost help with. He and Kanan obliged without really even thinking about it. 

Halftail faced his group which was made up of Adlerleaf, Birchfoot, Bluefeather, Molis, Keen, and Swifttail. They all looked at him with eyes bright with readiness. Halftail felt awful sending them into all of these heists, not knowing what would happen, but he knew that they had made their choice to come and he wasn't about to argue with them. He would just have to accept that they were rebels now, true rebels, and this was what they did.

“So what's the plan, Halftail," wondered Bluefeather as she leaned forward, her tail intertwined with Molis's tail.

Halftail sucked in a breath before he answered. "We are stealing very important cargo from the Separatists in space. This is going to be extremely dangerous. If you want to back out do it now." To his relief everyone stood with shoulders braced and chests puffed out in pride.

“We're with you, Halftail," assured Keen as he wagged his tail excitedly. 

Halftail smiled as he lifted his head a bit. "Alright, Molis, you will help out Zeb and Ezra here to take the cargo. Bluefeather, you'll help out with the Phoenix Squadron. Adlerleaf, Swifttail, and Keen can do the same."

The group nodded before Birchfoot staggered forwar, lifting his hind leg as he limped forward. "What about me," wondered Birchfoot, his face falling since he didn't think that he was needed. 

Halftail took a step forward and touched his nose to Birchfoot's ear. "I need you with your mother. I want you to monitor everything that's happening and tell us what's happening so we can stay in touch. I'll be with Kanan."

The group nodded and murmured in agreement. Halftail waved a paw. "Go on. We have a lot of work to do," he meowed as he watched the group break into small groups and melt away. 

Birchfoot hung back before he pressed against Halftail. "Are you giving me an easy task?"

Halftail's eyes widened in shock. "Of course not, Birchfoot! You're going to be calling the shots from above. That's the most important job. Besides, I thought that you'd want to spend some time with Brook."

Birchfoot brightened as his tail kinked over his back. "I guess that can't be that bad. Thanks, Halftail." He hobbled forward and Halftail stood back a bit, wondering if he had made the right decision in keeping Birchfoot away from the action.

“I'm ready, Dad," cheered Swifttail as he thundered forward with eyes bright and his fur standing on end. "This is the most exciting mission that I've ever done. I even get to fly my own ship!"

Halftail stretched out a paw and rested it on his son's shoulder. "Easy. I can't have you flying if you're jumping off of the walls. Calm down a bit."

Swifttail took in a few breaths. "Okay, I'm good."

Halftail pushed his head against his shoulder playfully. "Then run along and make sure everyone else is as ready as you. I'm going to find Kanan," he announced as he sped forward, his fur prickling at all angles. He was nervous but also excited. This was a very important mission.

He traveled through the Ghost until he found Kanan in their room, listening to the hologram message of Obi-Wan Kenobi for maybe the millionth time. Halftail strode forward and used the force to close the hologram. Kanan lifted his head and smiled at Halftail. "Is your group ready?"

Halftail nodded as he leaped onto the bed beside Kanan. Kanan stretched out a hand and stroked Halftail between the ears. Halftail purred loudly, the sound rolling in his throat. "Are you ready?"

“Of course," assured Kanan as he stared at the holocron. Halftail could tell that his mind was elsewhere.

Halftail lifted his tail tail and thrust it in front of Kanan's face. Kanan leaned backwards a bit and his eyes seemed hollow. "You don't seem ready. You seem unfocused; even more unfocused than normal."

Kanan shook his head. "I'm not unfocused. I'm just-"

“Don't lie to me," growled Halftail as he lashed his tail. "I can see it in your eyes how unfocused you are. Why? For once I actually think that we have a good plan." Kanan scowled and Halftail dipped his head in forgiveness. "Not that your plans aren't good, but these ones are a little better thought out." 

Kanan rose to his feet and Halftail leaped down beside him. "Something just doesn't feel right. I can't put my finger on it, though." He stroked his beard thoughtfully and Halftail rolled his eyes.

“You don't need to be worried about anything," meowed Halftail as he looked up at his friend. "We have everything under control; at least I think we do.”

Kanan smiled, and before he could say anything else, there was a knock at the door. Halftail bounded forward and opened it. Keen stood with his tail wagging madly. "We're ready, Halftail!"

Halftail dipped his head before he looked to Kanan. "I believe we are too, right, Kanan?"

Kanan charged forward, nudging Keen out of the way as he passed. Keen chuckled in amusement, bounding after him with Halftail right behind. Halftail had to make sure that they didn't start fighting too hard before the battle.

Once they were in the hanger of the Ghost, Halftail began to split them into the groups that they needed to be in. They set off quickly and Halftail turned to Kanan. "I'm with you, if that's alright?"

Kanan nodded. He darted toward the hallway that connected the Ghost to a larger ship. "Of course, if you can keep up!" Halftail lowered into a crouch before he exploded forward and darted after Kanan with his group following.

They darted into their ships while Halftail and Kanan boarded one. Halftail decided to be in charge of the controls while Kanan manned the guns. It had been a long time since Halftail had flown one of these things, but he knew that he could pull it off.

“Are you ready," called Halftail over his shoulder to Kanan.

Kanan gave him a thumbs up just as Halftail started the engine, and began to steer it to the best of his ability. He flew forward and into the vastness of space, following Swifttail with Adlerleaf behind him. Halftail saw the rest of the squadron and he advanced forward. He wasn't the first one to shoot—that was Ezra—but he certainly joined in quickly. 

“Watch your tail," Halftail warned Swifttail out of habit.

Halftail could just imagine Bine rolling her eyes if she would be there at how protective Halftail still was. Instead of Bine scolding him, it was Kanan. "You need to give that kid a bit more slack, Halftail, especially now."

Halftail sighed heavily before he rushed the ship forward and shot at some TIEs. He watched Adlerleaf and Swifttail shoot some as well, but the TIEs were certainly heavy and were closing in quickly.

It didn't take too long with a huge squadron to capture the cargo. Once everyone was back, they left their ships and boarded the main ship. Halftail stalked forward with his fur prickling in nervousness. He knew that Swifttail probably wasn't too happy with him. 

Luckily, Swifttail passed right past Halftail and purred as he pressed against Adlerleaf. The two wove their tails together before making their way to the control room. Halftail sat beside Keen, who was boasting about a few of his shots. Bluefeather and Molis listened, but Halftail knew that they weren't really paying attention.

“Yes, you did well," purred Halftail as he touched his nose to Keen's ear. "Soon you may even be ready to command your own squadron."

“Really," gasped Keen as his eyes widened in shock and thankfulness. "Do you really think so?"

Halftail butted his head against Keen's shoulder. Keen staggered before he rolled onto his underbelly. "I know so," answered Halftail as he tickled his claws against Keen's underbelly.

Once Hera filed in, Halftail knew it was time to listen to what they had to say. He forced Keen to sit up and Keen drug himself over to plot down between Bluefeather and Molis. Swifttail and Adlerleaf stayed quiet as they continued to sit next to each other. Birchfoot and Brook sat side by side with their ears twitching. 

“What we thought was in the cargo wasn't," whispered Bluefeather in Molis's ears. "I checked and it's weaponry but nothing heavy."

The group whispered for a while longer, but Halftail noticed that Kanan wasn't joining in on the talking. Halftail stalked forward and leaped beside Kanan before settling beside him."You okay," wondered Halftail as he blinked his eyes a bit.

Kanan shrugged. "Yeah, why wouldn't I be?"

Halftail was a bit taken aback by his shortness. Ever since they had been rescued Kanan had been acting very different. Halftail just rolled his eyes and turned away. "Fine, just asking," he spat as he suddenly heard Chopper speeding down the hallways. 

He emerged into the control room, beeping and carrying on like Halftail had never heard. Keen surged over to Chopper, but Chopper just pushed him back. Keen spread his wings and growled. "He says that he has an important signal." Chopper beeped louder and faster and it made Keen growl. "Fine! Very important."

“Why don't you just play it, Chopper if it's that important," muttered Kanan as he waved a hand in Chopper's direction.

Hera turned on Kanan and narrowed her eyes. "Chopper, make it a one way signal and then play it," she ordered and Halftail could feel the hostility in the air between the two of them.

Chopper gave a few more beeps before an image shown in front of them. It was someone whom Keen and Ezra recognized. "It's Old Joe," exclaimed Ezra.

Keen wagged his tail in excitement. "Hey, Old Joe! How are you," he rumbled.

Old Joe turned, unable to see. "Sorry, I can hear you but I can't see you. We are doing okay here, at least until someone showed up. She asked me to contact you and I said that I couldn't, but she was persistent. She says that she needs your help."

Halftail leaped down and drew forward. Bluefeather, Swifttail, and Adlerleaf were right behind him. "We have to help," meowed Adlerleaf kindly. 

“Of course we do," agreed Kanan and Halftail had to admit he was a bit surprised. 

Suddenly, a women stepped out and Halftail extended his claws in almost rage. However, it was Hera who said her name first. "Minister Tua!"

“Turn it off," snapped Molis as the fur along his spine began to spike upward. Bluefeather rested her wing against Molis's shoulders, but it didn’t calm him. 

Halftail was about to agree, but Swifttail flicked his tail almost in dismissal of everyone. "At least hear what she has to say," he broke in hopefully. 

Halftail dipped his head to his son. Before, Swifttail would argue with Halftail on almost everything, but now he at least asked permission for what he decided to do. Keen was doing the same thing, which was making him a very respected member of their crew. "Go on." 

Swifttail stood tall and all eyes turned to him. He gulped in apprehension, forcing himself to speak. "We shouldn't just say no to her because she works for the Empire. Then we're just as bad as she is or was.”

“Well said, young Jedi," praised Ahsoka with a nod of her head while Brook purred. Swifttail blushed a bit at their kindness as Adlerleaf strode forward and touched her nose to his ear.

Halftail looked over to the message and Minister Tua looked into her eyes. His eyes were serious and glowing and it made Minster Tua look away. "Say what you have to say and then we will decide what to do," he growled, his teeth bared.

Minister Tua gulped as she tried to speak. She gave a whole speech, but Halftail just zoned into the important parts. She wanted to get away from the Empire and she would pay them with rebel locations or at least places where they were friendly to rebels.

Once she was finished, Halftail turned and looked up to the group. "So, what do you think that we should do," he inquired as he lifted his tail to kink it over his back.

Swifttail looked to his father and Halftail could see where he was going with this. He had the same powerful stature that Bine had when she spoke, and as he had gotten older, Bine had seen it come through him. He still had his Halftail moments, but Halftail was hoping that they would soon diminish. 

“We can't just let someone who needs our help not get it," pointed out Swifttail as he looked to the group, praying that they agreed. "I think that we should help. We can lead a small group down and bring her here. Those secrets could really help and I think that it would be wolf-hearted of us not to help." He turned to look at Keen, Bluefeather, and Molis. "No offense."

Molis thrust his ears forward, but Halftail was just glad that Bluefeather was there to calm him and that Molis knew Halftail’s son. Molis shuffled his paws a bit. "None taken."

“I agree with Swifttail," meowed Halftail after a while, turning to look to Kanan and the rest of the group. This might be overstepping his boundaries, but that was alright. "Who else?"

Adlerleaf, Birchfoot, and Brook all raised their tails almost immediately. Bluefeather and Molis spoke quietly for a bit before they both nodded and raised their tails in agreement. Sabine, Hera, Kanan, Zeb, and Ezra all raised their hands. After a while, Ahsoka did and Halftail soon followed with Keen being the last.

“Then it's decided," murmured Kanan as he looked to his group, and for once Halftail felt like it was old times. "Let's get going."

The Ghost's crew bounded down the hallway, but Halftail noticed that Kanan was going a lot slower than the rest. Hera was bounding after him and he was padding next to Keen. "Keen, go on ahead. I'll catch up," offered Halftail as he looked into his apprentice's eyes. 

“But I-," began Keen but Halftail had no interesting in hearing what he had to say. He didn't want Keen to be caught in the middle of Hera and Kanan.

Halftail sighed as he pushed his head against Keen's haunches. "Just go and find Ezra. I'll catch up; I promise."

Keen dipped his head as he turned and sped down the hallway and after Ezra's scent. Halftail heard Hera call Kanan's name. Kanan pushed Halftail abruptly, but Halftail stood his ground. He wasn't about to allow Kanan to face Hera by himself.

“What was that," snapped Hera as she thrust her face an inch from Kanan's.

Kanan looked down smugly at Hera and Halftail could feel Hera's blood boiling. She sensed something off about Kanan just as much as Halftail did. Halftail hoped that maybe Hera would be able to figure out what it was. "What was what?"

“What you said for Chopper to do! We just can't broadcast a message or we place the whole rebel group at risk," Hera basically yelled as rebels passed them. Halftail was relieved that they didn't stop. They probably didn't care why the two were fighting since it seemed that since Kanan returned that's all that they did was fight and yell at each other. "You can't do that without authorization."

Kanan's rage snapped and Halftail felt it good. "That's what’s bothering me! Authorization, procedure, protocol!"

Hera sighed as she rested a hand on Kanan's shoulder, but he battered it away and Halftail wondered where this was going. He wanted to step in, but he held his tongue. "Alright, so talk to me."

Halftail let another rebel step past him and he was just glad that they didn't appear to be paying attention that much. "I liked it better without all this military personnel. After this mission I want us back on our own."

“Back on our own," echoed Halftail when he could no longer keep his muzzle shut. This was how it felt when he was a Jedi and he actually enjoyed it again, unlike Kanan. 

Kanan looked down, but his attention was still pierced on Hera. "We don't need them to do what we needed to do. We have an even bigger crew now and I think that it's only going to get bigger. Just look at Swifttail and Adlerleaf.”

“What," roared Halftail as he was about to lunge for Kanan, but Hera took Kanan by the shoulders and pushed him back into a darker corner. Halftail grumbled as he stalked after the two of them, still seething about what Kanan had said. If Swifttail and Adlerleaf ever had kits he was sure that he would kill both of them. He had warned Swifttail numerous times about what Brist had told him, yet Swifttail was stubborn and wouldn't listen.

Hera thrust him back and kept ahold of his shoulders. "Look, these 'military personnel' saved your life."

Kanan sighed and looked down. "Which I am grateful for, but that doesn't mean that I want to stay here forever. I was apart of something like this once more." Halftail opened his mouth to interject that statement, but Kanan's suddenly calm gaze caused him to shut his mouth. "We both were. You remember, don't you, Halftail?"

Halftail hadn't even been called Halftail back then, but it didn't mean that he didn't remembered. Those were probably his best days, despite his awful health. After his illness, Brist and him had become closer than close and he would do anything to have that back. However, without the fall he wouldn't have met Bine and fallen in love with her or had Swifttail. There were pros and cons with everything.

“Yes, I remember," breathed Halftail after what felt like an eternity. He curled his puny tail as much as he could before anger replaced his grief. "But nothing can bring them back and I have to move on."

Kanan's eyes brightened. "Exactly, even Halftail thinks that we should move on," he pointed out.

Halftail's whiskered twitched. How Kanan could turn what he said against him, he didn't know. "I didn't say that," he argued. However, Kanan was already hanging onto his former words.

Hera just rolled her eyes since she sensed that she was getting nowhere with him. "We owe them at least our cooperation with this and they have helped us more than they should have. Just try and fix you attitude." She trailed off and headed in the direction of the Ghost.

Kanan watched her go, but once he looked down to Halftail, he was shaking his head and working his claws against the ground. Kanan rolled his eyes as he kneeled down and looked at Halftail. "I'm sorry if I brought up things that you don't want to face but-"

“Oh," meowed Halftail sarcastically as his whiskers began to twitch in anger. "I don't think that it's me that doesn't want to bring up the past. You haven't told Hera almost anything about your past. I told Bine everything about mine. You're just a coward." 

Kanan would have usually had something smart to reply, yet he didn’t respond. "You may be right about that, Halftail. You may be just right about that." He trudged away after Hera and Halftail was left to wondering if he went too far.


	75. Trouble On Lothal

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> When things don’t go as planned, the rebel crew must adapt, and quickly.

The group boarded a shuttle since it was decided that the Ghost would attract way too much attention. Halftail was the last one aboard and he saw Swifttail and Adlerleaf speaking quietly to one another, heads bowed together. He was about to stride over to them, but Birchfoot intercepted him, his limp more prominent than normal.

“May I speak with you," he asked hopefully with a tilt of his head. 

Halftail gulped before he nodded, wondering what it could be about. "S-Sure," he stammered as he stalked forward, taking a seat in the back. Birchfoot hopped over before he leaped onto the seat next to Halftail. Halftail realized how much Birchfoot had grown as of late. He wasn't exactly a large cat; then again Brook wasn't exceptionally large, and from what Halftail had heard, neither was Birchfoot's father.

Birchfoot arched his back in a stretch. He glanced around, leaning backwards stiffly. "I think that Swifttail and Adlerleaf are pretty happy together, don't you," he pressed.

Halftail didn't like where he thought this conversation was going and he wanted nothing more than to rake his claws against Birchfoot's muzzle. However, that wouldn't be that polite, so he just shook his head. "Maybe, maybe not; I don't know," he lied. Anyone with half a brain could tell that Swifttail and Adlerleaf were in love.

Birchfoot rested his tail across Halftail's shoulders. Halftail sighed. "Look, Halftail, I know this is hard to realize that your son has found happiness but-"

“He had happiness before," spat Halftail quickly and under his breath. He shrugged Birchfoot's tail from his shoulder and tried not to let his anger get the best of him. 

Birchfoot's eyes softened since he knew how difficult this was for Halftail. "Halftail, I'm sorry for what happened to Bine, but you can't not let Swifttail live his own life. I think that he's found his true happiness. Perhaps you should find some yourself."

Horror shot through Halftail. "You think that I could take another mate?!" 

Birchfoot shook his head vigorously. Halftail leaned forward and he could smell his rancid breath, making Birchfoot's fur spike. "I, er, don't know," meowed Birchfoot as if he was walking on his claws. "I didn't mean to make you hostile toward me."

Halftail leaped down from the seat with his fur bristling so that he looked twice his normal size. "For your information I will never take another mate!" 

He stomped away from Birchfoot with tears stinging in his eyes. It wasn't that he didn't want Swifttail and Adlerleaf to be happy; it was that he knew what was going to happen as soon as they became mates. Brist had foretold it. There was no reason for him to lie. Halftail couldn’t allow this to happen to his son! 

“Halftail, do you want to sit by me," offered Molis from where he sat in the front. Bluefeather was sitting in a seat behind him and was talking quietly to Keen. 

Halftail perked up a bit thinking that maybe Molis would put him in a better mood. He leaped up beside him and sighed. "So how are things with Bluefeather?"

Molis blushed and Halftail realized that he didn't really like talking about his relationship. Most toms were like that, but Halftail was the opposite. He was going to get Molis to talk even if he had to revert to devious methods. 

“We're good, I think. However, when I think things are going good, they aren't." He hung his head. "I'm not that good at this yet."

Halftail felt empathy toward Molis. Bine and him really didn't have that many arguments, but when they did, Halftail had to learn when to fight back and when to tell her that she was right. "You'll get used to it, I promise."

They traveled in silence the rest of the time before they landed on Lothal. Halftail shivered as he looked at all of the Imperial ships that seemed to hover overhead. He knew that Molis felt the same by the prickling of the fur along his shoulders. He realized how Keen felt too because he tiptoed over to Halftail and leaped beside him.

“I know I'm not supposed to be but I'm afraid," he confessed as he looked into Halftail's eyes.

Halftail saw the terror and he nuzzled Keen affectionately. "Just remember your training. There's nothing that you can't conquer," he whispered in Keen's ear so that no one else heard. Keen didn't need any jeers from the rest of the crew by being comforted by Halftail.

“I feel something dark," Ezra suddenly blurted and Halftail shivered once he felt the same.

Once they landed, Halftail tried to block out what everyone else was saying. He wanted to rescue Minister Tua and get off Lothal as soon as possible. He had never really enjoyed this planet and now with the Empire watching even closer than before, it gave him more reason to dislike it.

They came out of the ship with lights shinning around them. Halftail readied to bolt, his muscles tensed, but Hera began to speak first. He knew that he had to listen to her, so he forced himself to stand still. "Zeb, Chopper, and Bluefeather stay at the ship. We need you here in case we need a quick escape."

The three nodded and Bluefeather touched noses with Keen and Molis in turn before drawing back. Halftail sprang forward just to be out of the open. He landed against the wall with Keen and Swifttail right behind him. Birchfoot shuffled closer toward them, but once he caught Halftail's eye, he scampered back against Adlerleaf. 

“So what's the plan," breathed Halftail over his shoulder as a bit of light shone on his face.

Kanan stroked his beard thoughtfully, but Halftail knew that he didn't exactly have a plan. He used to point it out, yet he knew better now. Instead, Kanan kept forward and Halftail stalked forward with Molis at his side. Keen shuffled right behind him with the rest of the group bringing up the rear. 

They stopped at a group of Stormtrooper and Kanan smiled. "I'm going to go and make some friends," he announced as he looked at at the Stormtroopers. 

“Friends," echoed Hera in shock. He knew what Kanan was about to do since he had seen him doing it so much. 

Kanan darted forward and took out a few of the Stormtroopers rather quickly before he winked at the group before placing on a helmet. "I'm kind of jealous," confessed Ezra as she looked at Kanan. "I only have the helmet."

Halftail then looked up at the dome where they would need to climb. Halftail scampered up the side of the building with relative ease, despite not having half of his tail. Molis was next, having a little more trouble than Halftail. Keen was right behind him and pushed him forward. "Hurry up, Molis," spat Keen shortly.

Once Molis was up Keen, Swifttail, Adlerleaf, Ezra, Hera, and Sabine followed. Birchfoot, however, couldn't climb up with only three legs. Halftail sighed as he leaped down and pulled Birchfoot up beside the others. A light shone their way, but Halftail managed to duck down before pushing Birchfoot down. The light scanned right over them. He let out a breath of relief before he leaped down, feeling a jolt through his paws as he landed. He set his jaw while the rest of the group landed beside him.

“There she is," Adlerleaf announced as she pointed a paw forward at a women who stepped out of a land speeder. 

Halftail narrowed his eyes and readied to explode forward. However, he just watched and waited until Minister Tua stepped forward with a few Stormtroopers behind her as well as someone that Halftail knew well. He let out a growl, his tail twitching crossly.

Sabine began to shoot at some of the Stormtroopers before she boarded their speeder and took off. Kanan then attacked while the rest of them darted to Minister Tua's side. "We have to go," yowled Halftail as the blasts began to rise up and his hackles rose in fear. "Now!"

“Let's get to the ship," growled Molis as a blaster shot was fired dangerously close to his shoulder.

Minister Tua led the way to ship with the rest of the group following. As soon as Minister Tua emerged into the entrance of the ship with Swifttail right behind, the ship exploded right in front of Halftail's eyes and Swifttail was thrust against him. The two rolled backwards and nearly fell on top of Adlerleaf.

Once Halftail could push himself to his paws, his mouth gaped open as he saw the ship that they had been ready to board in flames. "No," he gasped in shock when he couldn't detect Minister Tua's force signature.

Keen sprang forward and reared on his hind legs before he pushed his paws against Halftail's shoulder. "Come on! We have to go!"

Halftail was still in shock, but he knew that he had to listen to Keen, even though it was usually the other way around. He darted forward with Keen at his side as they surged back to where they had come. Once they emerged, the shuttle landed and Halftail saw that Bluefeather was in control. 

The doors opened even though everyone was still shooting at them. "Get in," growled Zeb as he threw his hand back to motion them in.

Halftail stopped at the entrance to make sure that everyone got in before he did. As soon as everyone was in, he surged forward, the door almost slamming on the rest of his tail. He darted to the front and saw both Hera and Bluefeather trying to force the shuttle to go quicker. Yet Halftail swore it was just making them slower.

“Are we going to get out of here," wondered Keen as he looked out one of the windows, his fur spiked in fear.

Halftail wanted to answer, but no words came from his throat. That was then the whole world went black.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Pain was the first thing that Halftail noticed. He heard his name being called, but it was like he was underwater. That or someone else was underwater and were calling to him. 

“Halftail!"

Halftail groaned as he lifted his head and smoke made his lungs ache. His eyes focused on something standing over him and he realized it was Adlerleaf. "Halftail," she hissed as she sunk her claws into his shoulders and shook him until her claws drew blood. "Get up! We have to go before this shuttle explodes!"

Halftail grunted as Adlerleaf tried to help him to his paws. He gasped as he turned and realized that something had fallen on his tail. That must be why he was in so much pain. "Adlerleaf," he cried out as she turned to Swifttail and Hera.

Adlerleaf sighed as she bounded back toward Halftail and she pushed her shoulder against what appeared to be part of the roof. Halftail managed to pull his tail from under the roof and he scampered forward. Adlerleaf allowed the roof to fall before she darted forward with the rest of the group following. 

They exploded from the shuttle, and when Halftail looked around, he saw several people watching them. That certainly wasn't great and he was sure that the Empire was watching them as well. Kanan darted forward and pushed past them. "Follow me!"

Halftail didn't need to be told twice. He shot forward on light paws and they made their way over to Ezra, Bluefeather, and Keen's old home. They ducked in and Chopper stood guard at the entrance. 

“This way," barked Keen as he pushed his paw against Halftail's shoulder. "I want to show you my old room. I didn't get to last time." 

Halftail wanted to point out that this wasn't the right time, but this might be able to distract Keen over the death that he had just witnessed. "Alright, would you like Swifttail to come too?"

Keen nodded vigorously and Halftail motioned for Swifttail. Swifttail bounded over and Halftail nudged Keen harshly. Keen yipped excitedly as he bounded down the hallway. Halftail rolled his eyes as he strode after him with Swifttail at his side. He wanted to speak to his son, but he never knew what to say. 

They then turned into a room and Keen bounded over to a cot and began to jump up and down on it. "This used to be my room many years ago."

Halftail looked around and tried to imagine how it would have looked a long time ago. Now everything seemed bare and lifeless. "It's beautiful, Keen," lied Halftail as he peered at the bed that looked like it would collapse at any heartbeat under Keen's weight. The floor was cold with a few dirty paw prints from Keen when he was much younger. The room definitely seemed vacant. "Very, er, you."

Keen hung his head as he stepped off of his bed. "You don't think that, do you? It's alright," he barked as he answered his own question. "I know that it doesn't look that great anymore. It did when I had posters and pictures of my parents and I up." 

At the mention of his parents, Keen's voice crackled a bit and Halftail had to remind himself how truly young Keen was. He was about to comfort Keen, but to his surprise, Swifttail beat him to it. His son pressed against Keen and rested his chin on top of Keen's head. "I know what it's like to lose one of your parents; I can't imagine loosing both."

Keen sniffed in a desperate attempt not to cry. Halftail admired his courage. "I don't want to seem weak," whimpered Keen as he pressed a paw against one of his eyes.

Swifttail shook his head as he licked Keen between the ears. Keen seemed shocked at how gentle Swifttail was being. It was proof to Halftail that Swifttail was indeed maturing. "No one thinks that you're weak, especially not me. I think that you're strong beyond comparison."

“Halftail!"

Halftail twitched his ears upward as he heard Kanan calling for him. He decided to leave them be as he turned and darted in Kanan's direction. Kanan looked down in surprise as Halftail slid into the back of his legs. "Sorry," puffed Halftail as he shook his head to clear it. "These floors are slippery."

Kanan nodded as he motioned to the hole in the ground that Ezra's parents used to broadcast at. "I need your help to try and see if we can get a signal down there." 

Halftail dipped his head as he bounded toward the top. He looked back to where he had come and saw Swifttail and Keen still speaking. He then slipped down below with his fur prickling as Ezra seemed to hover over his shoulder as he worked. 

“Do you mind," hissed Halftail as he lashed his tail against Ezra.

Ezra took a step back and swayed a bit. "So, what did Swifttail and Keen have to say?"

Halftail raised an eyebrow as he looked back at Ezra, still working his paws against the wires. "Why do you care," asked Halftail in a bit of an offhanded way. Ezra shuffled his feet and Halftail realized that he might have been a little too rough on Ezra. Halftail sighed and leaped back to look up at Ezra. "They're just talking about the things that they have in common. Keen was also showing us his room. I'm sure that a long time ago, everything was wonderful in there."

Ezra shook his head as he bit his lip. "I wouldn't say wonderful, but it did look better a long time ago."

Halftail nodded as he turned back to his work and curled his claws as he began to strip the wires. Eventually, he connected a few wires and the radio kicked on. "Got it," he announced proudly as he turned his muzzle upward.

Kanan peeked his head below before he crawled down. Once he was in there, Halftail felt like he was being pressed against a wall. This really wasn't meant for the whole crew of the Ghost; at least he didn't think so. 

Kanan glowed as he turned on the radio and actually got a signal. However, when Halftail started listening, all it talked about was the rebels that had killed Minister Tua.

“We didn't do that," argued Adlerleaf as she stormed forward with her tail tip twitching to and fro in anger.

Halftail's eyes softened as he rested his tail tip across her shoulders. "You're right, we didn't, but Lothal doesn't know that," he pointed out grimly.

Hera came forward and listened for a bit before Kanan shut it off. He then slammed a fist on it and Halftail's jaw gaped open as he looked at the machine that he had just fixed. "Thanks, I'm never fixing something for you again," he reported.

“We have to leave Lothal," Hera suddenly announced and surprise flashed through Halftail. They had always fought when things became bad, but in this instant, he agreed with her. No one should have to die because of them, yet people had already died.

Ezra shook his head madly as he crossed his arms. "We can't leave just because things are hard now. We have to fight the Empire!" He threw a fist in the air. However, no one joined in. 

“It's too dangerous," rasped Molis as he looked over to Bluefeather, who was talking to Birchfoot. "We don't want anymore death."

Ezra narrowed his eyes in rage. "I think that Bluefeather has turned you soft, Molis."

Molis's eyes widened in bewilderment, and before it could get violent, Halftail took a step between them. He pointed his nose up to Ezra. "Molis is right, more people will die if we stay. Besides, they think that we did this. They don't even want us here."

Adlerleaf bounded up to Ezra and sunk her claws into his leg, forcing him to kneel. He obeyed and she looked into his eyes. "I'm sorry that this is hard for you, Ezra, but you have to think what's best for everyone; not just our crew either."

That seemed to make it sink in for Ezra and he finally nodded. "Alright, I suppose. But getting off this planet won't be easy."

“We never thought it would," meowed Birchfoot as he hopped over, careful to avoid Halftail. Halftail didn't want Birchfoot to avoid him, but his harsh words before had caused Birchfoot to keep his distance. "I mean we usually have no problem getting off this planet, but this time it will be hard."

Bluefeather darted forward with her wings plastered tightly against her flank. She pressed against Molis and they intertwined tails. "We will make it off Lothal. We always do," murmured Bluefeather in Molis's ear.

Halftail had a sort of plan. He was about to state it when there was harsh beeping from Chopper. Sabine turned and looked to the group. "They've found us."


	76. The Dark Figure

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Inquisitor is no longer the Ghost crew’s most dangerous adversary.

The fur along Halftail's spine stood on end as he looked around madly. "We have to get out of here, now," he yowled as he looked around before he bounded up the ladder and toward Keen's room. 

He barged in and saw Swifttail standing with Keen in the corner, his tail thrust against Keen's mouth to keep him from talking. Halftail snuck forward, halting as Swifttail shook his head vigorously. Halftail stopped and looked toward one window and saw Stormtroopers marching outside.

Halftail froze as he looked in. He flicked his paw toward the two and Swifttail picked up Keen by the scruff. Keen was about to let out a yelp, but Swifttail shoved his tail back into Keen's mouth. Once Keen was calm, Swifttail pushed his head against Keen's haunch, forcing him to move. Keen skidded forward and darted behind Halftail with his ears plastered against his head. "I'm scared, Halftail," whimpered Keen as he shoved his muzzle into Halftail's shoulder.

Halftail draped his tail around Keen before he lowered down, stretching out a paw. "Come on, Swifttail. He's not looking right now."

Swifttail looked over his shoulder before he lunged forward. His hind leg caught on a stone and he gasped in pain. The Stormtrooper gazed in and saw the three with their fur plastered against their bodies, eyes round and wide. "They're in there! They're in there," he shouted as he began to shoot through the window.

Swifttail darted forward and Halftail made sure that the two were down the hallway before he followed them on light and nimble paws. He stopped at the opening, looking in and seeing that a bomb had been thrown. "Hurry!"

As he spoke, he felt an impact and it threw him against the wall. He grunted as he landed before he thrust a paw over his eyes to keep the dust and debris from them. When he felt the heat of the explosion he knew that he couldn't hide from it anymore.

Bluefeather was the first one to her paws and she looked around madly. "We have to leave! This place is destroyed," she wailed as she looked at everyone laying around.

Halftail darted to his paws despite the pain that he felt. They just couldn't catch a break. He sprang over to Swifttail and rolled him on his back. Swifttail took in a labored breath. "Get up," Halftail ordered as Swifttail drowsily rose to his paws.

Adlerleaf was next and she began to lick Kanan's face. Kanan eventually lifted his head and narrowed his eyes at Adlerleaf. Adlerleaf pushed him to his feet and it was then that everyone else sort of fell into line. They darted out of any entrances that they could before they quickly scaled a building. 

Halftail felt where his pelt had been singed and burned, but it didn't faze him. He was the first one across a thick wire, and when he looked behind him at Keen's face, it made him want to cry. Keen's face just showed the grief that he had felt over losing his parents all over again. Now there would be no sign that they had even lived there. 

Halftail flicked his tail and Kanan followed. "How could someone be so cruel," whispered Halftail into his chest fur.

Kanan stretched out a hand and scratched Halftail behind an ear. That usually made Halftail perk up, but today it just made him feel worse. Halftail didn't want to push him to grow up, but part of being a Jedi was leaving your family. Things were different now. However, that didn't mean that the ideals shouldn't be upheld. He would try a bit more to help Keen feel more secure; even after losing his home.

“It's the Empire," breathed Kanan as he passed Halftail on the wire. "Does anything really surprise you?"

Halftail had to admit that he had a point, but then again, the Empire didn't have to kill everyone, nor did they have to make Lothal look like a terrorist planet. "Let's just keep moving," hissed Halftail as he stalked forward.

He leaped aside at the end and watched everyone pass. Zeb, Sabine, Hera, Chopper, Adlerleaf, Birchfoot, Molis, Ezra, and Swifttail and leaped free only leaving Keen and Bluefeather. Keen and Bluefeather hung back a bit and Halftail wanted to tell them to hurry up, but he wasn't going to rush this. They needed this more now than ever. 

Eventually, Bluefeather pushed her head against Keen's haunch. Keen stalked across the wire with Bluefeather following right behind. Once they made it across, Halftail stalked toward Bluefeather. Bluefeather hung her head and looked to her nephew. 

Halftail sighed as he licked Keen's cheek affectionately. "How about you walk with me," he offered as he tried to sound cheery. 

Keen reluctantly walked alongside Halftail with his head bowed. He didn't say anything as they walked and Halftail didn't pry. He didn't want to force Keen to talk if he didn't want to, so he strode forward with Keen following. They caught up with the rest of the group and stopped.

“I would ask what the plan is but I'm afraid to," confessed Birchfoot as he hung his head.

Adlerleaf touched her nose to her brother's ear before she turned to look at his hind leg. "How do you feel? Do you need to rest?"

Birchfoot narrowed his eyes at his sister and Halftail swallowed a purr. "I'm fine! Don't worry about me. I'll be fine as long as we get off this StarBound forsaken planet!" Out of the corner of his eye, Birchfoot saw Keen hang his head and he swallowed. "No offense."

“None taken," muttered Keen through gritted teeth. 

To Halftail's surprise Molis took a step forward with his fur laying flat despite the ordeal they had just been through. "Plan? Anyone have a plan?" 

Kanan looked at the holomap that Chopper was projecting. He pointed at a large building. "I have a plan. I think that we should make our way to the Imperial fortress." 

Shock clutched Halftail's heart and he turned his gaze to Kanan. "Are you fish-brained? It's called an Imperial fortress for a reason!"

Kanan smiled down at Halftail, causing the puma to growl. Halftail knew that charming smile. "I think that it will work. Who's with me?" He lifted his hand proudly, but no one else lifted anything. Bluefeather narrowed her eyes to unforgiving slits and pulled Keen close to her as if she didn't want Keen to have anything to do with that plan.

“Are you crazy," hissed Hera. "This is never going to work."

Kanan raised an eyebrow. "Does anyone ever answer yes to that question?"

Ezra looked closer on the map and gave a firm nod. Halftail was hoping that Ezra wouldn't agree, but he knew better than to have false hope. "You know I actually think that it could work. The Empire is looking everywhere else for us. They're not going to be looking for us there."

“He does have a point," added Swifttail as he pointed a claw at the compound. "We should be able to sneak in unseen and exit the same way. I think that Kanan actually had a good idea for once."

Kanan hit Swifttail hard against the shoulder. Swifttail fell sideways and narrowed his eyes up at Kanan. "I have great ideas. So are we going to do this or not?"

The team sighed before they reluctantly agreed to Kanan's idea. It was the best that anyone had had so far, so they went along with it. Kanan and Ezra would dress as Stormtroopers while the rest of them hid in containers for them to move. 

Halftail jumped in first before Keen, Swifttail, and Birchfoot followed. Sabine, Bluefeather, and Molis were in another while Hera, Zeb and Adlerleaf took the last one. Halftail was pushed so close against Swifttail that he was surprised that Swifttail could breathe.

“How long to do we have to be in this," fretted Birchfoot as he pawed at the side. His whiskers twitched and Halftail wondered if they could hear him from outside. "I hate confined spaces."

Keen squeezed himself out from Swifttail and the wall before he pressed against Birchfoot. "It's okay, Birchfoot. It's not going to be for much longer, right?" He turned his eyes to Halftail, but Halftail was having trouble seeing in the dark.

Instead, Swifttail answered to Halftail's relief. "We have our mission and we have to uphold it or we're not going to be able to get out of here. Just stay calm and remember how important this is."

Birchfoot sucked in a deep breath before he settled down with his head rested on his paws. His hind leg splayed behind him, as limp as a stick. Keen laid beside him and curled his wing over Birchfoot's back. Halftail would thank him later, but right now his fur was actually pricking in apprehension. He really didn't like being cooped up, but they didn't have a choice.

They suddenly started moving and Halftail extended his claws to keep himself from falling forward. He felt Swifttail tense beside him and held his breath. After a while they stopped again. This time there was a knock on the container. Halftail didn't even hesitate. He lifted his head and the lid popped off. He shook his head madly and his whiskers slumped. "Thank Starbound!"

Kanan looked over and gazed into their container. "How was the wait?"

“Awful," snarled Birchfoot as he sunk his claws into the edge of the container as he tried to pull himself out. However, his hind leg faltered and he fell backwards. He tried two more times with the same result.

Kanan rolled his eyes as he picked up Birchfoot gingerly while Halftail pushed him from behind. Birchfoot plopped out with Keen and Swifttail behind him. Once they all made it out, they stalked over toward the shuttles. Halftail was in the lead, but before he could get far, he heard Hera calling. 

He grunted as he turned and bounded back over to Hera. He saw military style shield generators looming in front of them. This would certainly help in their battles. "Everyone grab one and let's go," advised Hera as her eyes scanned the territory in front of them.

Halftail reared on his hind legs and struggled to push him while Bluefeather did the same right beside him. They bounded toward another shuttle, but Halftail suddenly felt a strange force. He skidded to a halt and dug his claws into the ground, his shoulders tensing. Bluefeather stopped beside him before she pushed a wing against his flank. "We have to go!" 

Halftail lowered his head into his shoulders and tried to stand his ground, but the darkness that he felt was seeping into him. "Something's wrong," he rasped as his eyes seemed to glaze over.

Halftail suddenly heard the activation of a lightsaber and when he turned he saw a tall dark figure who was breathing deeply and seemed to also be breathing through something. Keen and Swifttail were right in front of him with more shield generators. 

“Swifttail! Keen! Run," wailed Halftail as he leaped forward and watched the dark figure keep stalking toward them.

Swifttail abandoned his generator and surged forward without even thinking about it. Keen still tried to push his generator, but he tripped and the generator fell sideways. His hind leg caught on the fallen generator and he couldn't pull it free. "Halftail!"

The rest of the group darted toward the shuttle as the Stormtroopers fired more blaster shots at them, not to mention the dark figure. However, Halftail turned and looked back at him. He couldn't let Keen just be massacred. Bluefeather stood back and howled in terror.

“I'm coming," announced Halftail as he turned and darted toward Keen. He stopped and grasped Keen's scruff firmly between his jaws. The dark figure thrust his lightsaber toward them, but Halftail managed to push Keen behind him and drew his own lightsaber to block it. "Leave my padawan alone!”

The dark figure didn't say anything, but he used the force to push Halftail against a metal crate. That was when the whole world went black.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Halftail felt a tongue rasping against his head and it actually felt good since it was so cool. He had an unimaginable headache and felt dizzy when he moved, causing nausea to rise inside him. His whole body felt weak and he just wanted it to be over.

“Halftail. Halftail, can you hear me?"

Halftail opened his eyes and the urge to vomit overwhelmed him. He turned his head and emptied the contents of his stomach onto the ground; which wasn't much. Once he was finished, he rolled back and growled at the disgusting taste in his mouth. He tried to focus his eyes once more and when he did, he saw his mate, Bine, standing over him.

“Bine," rasped Halftail as he looked up to her.

Bine curled her tail around Halftail and began to lick his head again with long strokes of her rough, yet gentle tongue. "It's alright. Shhhh, just relax and the headache should go away."

Halftail wasn't so sure about that. “What happened? I don't even remember," he grunted; every time he spoke more jolts of pain shot through his head. 

“That thing threw you against a container while you were trying to save Keen. It hit at a good place. At least you don't have any brain damage, but I can't say anything for your nerves," explained Bine as she curled around her mate thoughtfully and pressed her nose against his cheek.

Halftail gulped thickly, turning his head and pressed it against Bine's side. "Is Keen okay?" He tried to keep his conversations to a minimum since his head couldn't take it. 

Bine smiled. "He's fine, thanks to you. Everyone is alright. You don't have to worry."

Halftail looked up to his mate and more dizziness washed over him. "Thank you, Bine, for helping me. You're the only one that would do this for me."

“I'm not the only one. Or maybe I am. I love you and this is how I show my love," she answered as she licked him between the ears, which was where the most pain was. 

“I love you too," breathed Halftail as he saw blackness in the corner of his eyes and it just pulled him. "I love you too. I love-"

Bine sighed as she touched her nose to Halftail's ear so that she could whisper. "It's alright. Just let yourself go. It's okay. I'll see you later."

Halftail closed his eyes and drifted off into a painful sleep.


	77. Steady Paws

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> When Halftail pushes himself too far, it can only mean painful consequences.

Halftail awoke and the nauseous feeling returned once more. He was about to vomit, but he felt someone press a cold cloth against his face. He opened his eyes and saw that it was Birchfoot. "You alright," he asked with concern glittering in his eyes. 

Halftail tried to get up, but Birchfoot just pushed him back down. "You're too injured to move right now. Besides, you must have one heck of a headache."

At the mention of a headache, Halftail's head began to throb. He stared up at Birchfoot and his eyes seemed to waver. "What happened?"

“There was a problem, but we fixed it. You just need to rest and stay calm right now, okay? You've been out for a little while," answered Birchfoot with still gentle eyes, despite their argument before.

Halftail rolled over and his back arched in pain. "Where are we?"

“Above the rebels' ship," replied Birchfoot as he tried to pull Halftail over to face him. "We escaped. Don't worry about anything. You just need to rest."

Something stirred inside Halftail and he couldn't rest. He rose to his paws, beginning to dry heave since there was nothing left inside of his stomach. Birchfoot rushed to his side. Halftail pushed him away weakly. "There's danger. I have to go!"

Birchfoot's eyes widened in surprise. "Are you kidding me? Look at you?"

Halftail really didn't want to look at himself since he was sure that would just make him feel worse. Instead, he bunched his shoulders and leaped forward, grimacing at the pain in his head. He decided that he would just walk instead and he made it to the control room on the rebel's ship. 

“Halftail," breathed Adlerleaf as she darted to Halftail's side. "Are you alright? You look awful."

Halftail wrinkled his nose in distain. "Thanks. I don't feel much better either," he confessed before he stalked forward and swallowed the strange feeling that made his stomach want to lurch. 

He stopped beside Kanan and cleared his throat. Kanan looked down and the shock showed instantly. "Halftail! Why in the world are you out of the room?"

Halftail tried to turn his muzzle up in pride, but weakness overwhelmed him. He lowered his head and tried not to topple over. "I felt something and I couldn't just let you go into something without me," he answered, swallowing thickly.

Kanan kneeled down so that Halftail didn't have to look up. "Halftail, you took a pretty nasty hit. I don't think that you should be up walking around like this. What did Birchfoot say?"

That was a question that Halftail desperately didn't want to answer. He curled his tail around his paws and grumbled as he looked up at Kanan, automatically wishing that he hadn't. "He doesn't think that I should be doing this, but I can't just stand on the sidelines and wait. I feel like I always do."

Kanan sighed as he stroked Halftail’s spine gently. His hand was cool and Halftail couldn't help, but fall almost into it. "I don't like this but I don't think that I can change your mind, and forcing you there isn't going to work either. Just stay close to me and we shouldn't have that much trouble."

“Thank you, Kanan," purred Halftail as he felt the pain in his head ebb a bit. "I promise that I won't get underpaw."

Just as he said that the ship began to rock and Halftail fell sideways, hitting his head once more on the floor. He grunted, thrusting his paw over his head and groaning. Kanan lowered down beside him and helped him stand. "You alright?"

Secretly, no, but Halftail was a great liar. "I'm fine," he rasped as he looked at the windows, but all he saw was the blur of a swift ship. That made his head spin and he sat back on his haunches, trying to fight the urge he had to vomit. "What in Starbound's name?"

Kanan turned his head before shaking it. "We have to do something. Are you in, Halftail?"

Halftail lifted his head and pretended that he was sure of himself. However, every step that he took just made him stagger. "Yes, sir!"

“Then let's go!"

Kanan threw his hand over his head and darted forward. Halftail may not have darted, but he certainly moved faster than he did before. He shuffled forward and closed his eyes, realizing that it actually helped. They made it to the Ghost and wide eyes greeted him. 

“Halftail, are you sure that you're alright," inquired Swifttail with general concern lighting in his intelligent blue eyes.

Halftail flicked his tail tip to silence his son. He was touched by his concern, but he didn't want to be seen as weak. "I'm fine. I just need to get into the action. Laying around isn't what I do."

Swifttail was about to say something else, but Adlerleaf pressed against him and that quieted him down. Halftail strode to the front of the ship before he felt another rocking motion from that strange and rogue ship. 

“Who is that guy," asked Keen as he reared on his hind legs and pressed his nose against one of the windows. "He's zipping around quicker than Hera ever could."

Halftail narrowed his eyes. "Watch it, Keen. Hera might decide to stuff you."

Keen turned quickly and his eyes widened. "Halftail, what are you doing here? Birchfoot said that you'd be out of the action for a few moons."

Halftail kinked his tail over his back. "Yeah, well, I'm fine now, so go help Ezra and keep those snarky comments about Hera's flying to yourself."

Keen was a bit taken back by the harshness in Halftail’s voice. He managed to nod his head slowly. "O-Okay," he stammered as he turned and bolted as the Ghost began to move.

Halftail took a step behind Hera and hung his head. Hera turned a bit as they entered space. "You didn't have to be so harsh on him," Hera told him. "After all, I knew that he was just joking."

Halftail's head was beginning to spin again as they picked up speed. He lowered down on the seat and rested his head on his paws, praying that the feeling would go away. That or maybe Hera would slow down. 

Hera only sped up and eventually Bluefeather ducked back to help Molis in the back. Ahsoka and Kanan came up front as well as Brook, but Halftail didn't care to acknowledge them. Perhaps, this wasn't the best idea. 

Brook twitched her ears before she turned her blind eyes on Halftail. She drew near so that no one else could hear her. "I feel like I know him."

“Him who," echoed Halftail as he raised his head to look at Brook.

Brook hissed before she tried and cuff Halftail's ear, but she missed. "The one in that ship. I feel like I've met him. Of course, I don't know what he looks like, but I never forget a feeling or a voice." 

Halftail believed Brook, but he hadn't met this thing; he was sure of it. He was outsmarting all kinds of pilots, yet that still couldn't narrow him down. "Well, that's great but I still have no idea who anyone is."

Ahsoka suddenly leaned over and rested a hand on Brook's shoulder. "Brook, I need your help. You know what to do."

Brook lumbered over toward Ahsoka and sat down with her tail wrapped around her paws. She then raised a paw and closed her eyes, despite the fact that she couldn't see. Ahsoka stretched out her own hand and Halftail's own ears twitched. Kanan looked over to him.

“Are you okay to try and help us," he whispered.

Halftail felt terrible, but he knew that they might need his help. He leaped down from the seat and lumbered toward Brook. Brook smiled as she stretched out her paw before she picked up Halftail's paw. She rested it on her shoulder and Halftail stretched out his other paw. He tried to feel through the force and he detected something or someone so strong with the Dark Side of the force that it nearly made him fall over. 

Suddenly, Halftail felt a fresh wave of nausea and he broke off from the group. He coughed painfully, shoulder heaving with each jolt. Luckily, he had nothing else to cough or bring up. Concerned, Brook also broke off and pushed herself closer to Halftail. "Halftail, what's wrong," she gasped as she felt his pain through the force.

Halftail battered a paw toward her weakly. It was feeble and it didn't even touch her. "I'm fine," he sputtered; every time he spoke making a fresh wave of nausea rise inside of him. 

There was a suddenly scream and Ahsoka fell sideways and out of the seat. Brook veered away from Halftail and she pressed against Ahsoka. Ahsoka was out cold and even Brook's touch wouldn't wake her. Fear sparked in her eyes before she lifted her head and pointed her nose toward the front of the Ghost. "He's coming back again," she breathed as her fur stood on end.

The ship whizzed by and shot at the Ghost. The shields were up, but that didn't mean that the ship didn't rock. Halftail fell before he darted back to his paws. He heard a yelp and realized it was Keen.

Brook darted to Halftail's side to steady him. "Let me help," she meowed and Halftail was surprised. He hadn't known Brook for that long, but he had known that she had a sharp tongue that could scorch trees if she wanted. Now she was being gentle and compassionate. Halftail couldn't complain.

“Alright," grumbled Halftail as the two surged forward and followed the sound of Keen's yelping. They were at the hanger and Molis was hovering right above it. "What's happening?"

Molis looked at them before he pointed a shaky paw at the shield generators. They had rolled to the front of the hanger and Halftail saw a paw poking out from them. "Keen," Molis replied as his ears plastered against his head. 

Halftail leaped down but the ship jerked and some of the shield generators rolled toward him. He dodged them and Brook used to force to keep them steady. Halftail then wove through the rest of them and pushed himself between the one that was blocking Keen. Keen looked up and whimpered. "Halftail?"

Halftail groaned as he pushed closer before nodding. "I'm right here," he meowed as he looked at Keen's wing. It was pinned down by one of the shield generators, and when Halftail tried to pull him out, Keen wailed. Halftail let go of Keen and Keen's face twisted in agony.

Halftail wasn't strong enough to lift the shield generator with the force, but he did try and push it. He growled in effort before Molis landed beside him and tried to help him push it. Once they did, Molis grasped Keen's scruff and hauled him out of the hanger. Halftail leaped onto the stairs before Brook let them go with the force.

Molis set Keen down and Keen groaned as Molis touched his wing. "We need Birchfoot to look at this," he barked fearfully.

Halftail dipped his head as he allowed Keen to lean on him, despite the fact that he thought he was going to fall over. He nodded to Brook and she darted back to the hanger with Molis following. Halftail helped Keen to Birchfoot's room and Birchfoot looked a bit surprised to see them.

“I thought that I heard Keen," he meowed as he hopped over. "What happened?"

Halftail was about to answer when the ship jolted and he knew that they had gone into hyperspace. He let out a breath of relief before he lowered down. He staggered and collapsed, his tail tip twitching and his stomach doing summersaults. 

Birchfoot rolled his eyes as Keen towered over him, whimpering in fear. "What's wrong with Halftail?"

Birchfoot pressed a paw against Halftail's neck, but Halftail just coughed without being able to bring anything else up. “Birchfoot, help me," he begged, feeling like a kit again.

Birchfoot bounded over to his supplies and picked up one of Halftail's syringes. He brought it over and dropped it at Halftail's paws. Halftail picked it up weakly, his paws shaking madly. "I can't put that in," he snapped as he looked up at Birchfoot. "Look at my paws!"

Birchfoot looked over to Keen who was tentatively patting at his wings. "Keen, come here," ordered Birchfoot.

Keen perked up, seeming surprised that Birchfoot would need him. He padded over and looked up at Birchfoot before looking at Halftail. "What can I help with? Or is this about my wing?"

Birchfoot shook his head as his whiskers dropped. "I'm afraid not. Halftail hasn't had his medicine in....I don't know how long and combined with that head injury, it's just a mess. Halftail's paws are shaking too bad and I can't do it while rearing on one leg."

The color drained from Keen's face and he shook his head madly. "Oh, no! I am not doing that! I am not doing that," he kept repeating as he began to shake.

Birchfoot struck his claws into one of Keen's ears and a few droplets of blood dripped down his face. "Look at me, Keen. Now, look at Halftail." He turned his head and looked at Halftail. Halftail was struggling to breathe now and his body was twitching, trying to attack himself. "He needs this or he will get much worse. You need to step up and help your Master, and your father figure, got it?"

The pep talk seemed to help Keen and he puffed out his chest in pride. "Yes, sir!" He stalked forward and lowered his paws to grasp the syringe. He had never used a needle, but he had gotten shots before. This couldn't be that difficult.

He took the syringe and Birchfoot instructed him how to make sure that it was dripping and how to fully empty it. Keen wanted to close his eyes, but he knew that he couldn't do that. He shoved the tip into Halftail's vein and injected the substance. He drew back and Birchfoot took care of the rest.

Keen leaped back and recoiled at what he had just done. He certainly never wanted to do that again and he hoped that he would never have to. Birchfoot gave a firm nod to Keen. "Very well done. You could be a healer with that talent."

Keen shook his head vigorously. "No thank you. Swifttail and you can do all of the healing that you want, but I'll stick with being a Jedi!"

Birchfoot chuckled, flicking his paw. "Alright, I think that you've earned me to look at the wing."

Keen waddled over before he sat in front of Birchfoot. Birchfoot found out that it was just a pull of a tendon; nothing that wouldn't heal in time. Halftail had awoken as well and he was already looking better. He still had a pounding headache, but that was better than the nausea that he had felt earlier.

Halftail looked to Keen and touched noses with him. "Thank you."

Keen rumbled a bit. "It wasn't a problem. I just wanted to help you. Like you helped me," he barked as he wove around Halftail and pressed against him. 

Halftail purred before he looked to Birchfoot, who just nodded. "You should be alright, but please don't do anything strenuous. Running the hallways also isn't the best thing for you either."

Halftail dipped his head before nodding. "Okay, I'll relax," he meowed as he bowed his head. 

Birchfoot touched his nose to Halftail's. He then perked his ears as Ezra appeared at the entrance to the room. "I heard that Keen hurt his wing. Are you alright?"

Birchfoot limped over and tipped his head upward. "He'll be okay. It was just a pull of a tendon, nothing too serious. There must be another reason that you're here. Do you need something?"

Ezra nodded a bit. "Yeah. We're all needed on the bridge to discuss what just happened."

Halftail rose to his paws strenuously, but Birchfoot tried to push him down. Halftail wasn't going to go through this with Birchfoot when he knew that he could make it to the bridge without any problems. "Don't worry, Birchfoot. A walk to the bridge isn't strenuous. Besides, you're coming."

Halftail trekked forward, a newfound power rushing through his muscles after his injection a few heartbeats ago. Keen just shrugged as he bounced forward, careful to avoid hitting his wing on anything. Birchfoot followed after them, rolling his eyes at both of their stubbornness. Ezra was right behind and when they entered the bridge, Brook bounded over to them.

“You seem so much better," she purred as she stared into Halftail's eyes, despite the fact that she couldn't see. 

Halftail tilted his head. "How do you know?"

Brook snorted in amusement as she kinked her tail over her back. "I may be blind but I can still sense things. And I sense that you are much better than you were before."

Brook then touched her nose to Halftail's before she strode over to Ahsoka. Halftail sat beside Kanan and Kanan patted him between the ears. The rest of the group filed in and took a seat on the bridge. There weren't really enough seats so some took to the floor, but no one seemed to mind. They had escaped and that thing in the ship had been caught by his own tractor beams. 

“I think that we did well," purred Swifttail as he threw his head upward in pride.

Adlerleaf pushed her head against his shoulder. "Of course we did good. Good always wins," she pointed out before she intertwined her tail with his. 

Halftail resisted the urge to growl at Adlerleaf and instead he just hung his head, knowing that there was nothing that he could do to stop them from being together anymore. He had already tried to warn his son, but that hadn't worked. It had just backfired on him. 

However, Halftail didn't need to think about that right now. They were all together and they were all safe; he hoped.


	78. New Commanders

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A mission to look for a fallen Commander may just bring out the best or worst of the Ghost crew.

The moon shone on an open landscape with stars glittering all around. Halftail stood in the middle of a giant meadow, able to see everything in all directions. He puffed out his chest as he took in the scent of everything. His breath caught as he scented someone that he would never get tired of scenting.

“Halftail."

Halftail turned and saw the snowy pelt of his deceased mate. She waltzed toward him with her blue eyes glowing. "Bine," he murmured as he took a step forward and pressed his forehead against hers. He purred warmly, his heart opening in affection.

“You must not be able to stay away from me," joked Bine as she turned and intertwined her tail with his stub of one. "I can't blame you, of course, but still."

Halftail rolled his eyes. As much as he would never admit it, he did love his mate's jokes. “Maybe you can't stay away from me. Have you ever thought of that?"

Bine cuffed his ear affectionately. "Fish-brain!" She licked his cheek and Halftail longed for this moment to never end. "You're being summoned."

Halftail inwardly groaned. "Can't they wait for a little bit? I don't get to see you that often and it never lasts very long," he complained.

“I know, but they need you even more than I do right now. They look up to you and you can't let them down," she pointed out as she drew away from him.

Halftail longed to call her back, but he knew that would be selfish of him. He knew that he was sort of like a leader, so he had to start acting like it, and that meant pushing all of his personal desires aside. "I won't. I promise you, Bine, I won't."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Halftail suddenly awoke to someone prodding him in the ribs. He took in a harsh breath, and when he looked up, he saw Kanan standing over him, poking the toe of his boot against his ribs. He grumbled a bit in anger before he rose to his paws. "Can I help you with something," he muttered as his eyes struggled to focus on Kanan.

Kanan nodded as he rushed to the door of their room. "We've been summoned. Just don't look like you're half asleep."

Halftail yawned as he stretched out, his back arching. He leaned forward before he stalked after Kanan. "I'll try, but I'm not making any promises."

Kanan chuckled as the two met up with Ezra, Keen, and Swifttail. Keen bounced at Halftail's paws, his wings looking a lot better. "Do you have any idea what this is about," inquired Keen as he wove around Halftail's legs, almost causing him to fall over.

Halftail shook his head and he pushed his head against Keen's haunch to get him walking. "No, but if we ever get there we'll be able to find out, but not until then," he meowed tersely and Swifttail darted forward with Keen right behind.

Halftail rolled his eyes as he followed with his stub of a tail kinked over his back. They made their way into the briefing room and Halftail saw the rest of his team standing around and talking quietly. As he approached, Adlerleaf and Birchfoot stopped talking and eyed him excitedly.

“Could you all have taken any longer," teased Adlerleaf as Swifttail stopped by her and pushed his nose against her cheek, purring noisily.

“I'm sure that we could have but we're here now," pointed out Halftail as he yawned and stretched out. He loved spending time with his mate, but now he was sacrificing sufficient sleep for it.

Bluefeather and Molis were sitting together with their ears alert as they listened to the Hologram. Halftail really wasn't interested in it since he had lots of other thoughts swarming around his mind. He was spaced out before he felt a tail graze the underside of his chin.

He turned his head and his gaze rested on Brook. She padded to Ahsoka's side and her tail flicked, almost ordering Halftail to follow her. He obeyed without question and he romped alongside her, his whiskers grazing her cheek so that she knew where he was. They stopped by Ahsoka’s side and she lowered down to whisper something in Brook's ear. Halftail couldn't make it out and part of him didn't want to. He watched as the two exchanged a nod before Ahsoka took a step forward.

“I know a great military commander," confessed Ahsoka as she looked at everyone around her. Brook followed, ready to add anything when Ahsoka needed. "He may know of some bases that the Empire doesn't know about."

Halftail pricked his ears in surprise. "A commander. Would this be a commander that we would know?"

Ahsoka didn't answer him, but Brook turned to face him. "You wouldn't know him, but I can assure you that he was a great commander. I've heard wonderful stories about him and the other soldiers. I've always wanted to meet him. Although, we have no idea where he is."

Halftail drew back a bit and he hoped that Brook couldn't tell his distain. "Then, how do you expect us to find him? We're not exactly the greatest of trackers."

Brook snorted in amusement as she kinked her lovely black tail behind her. "We have a way. Meet us in the Ghost in an hour and we'll show you the way."

The two then padded out of the briefing room and it left Halftail dumbfounded. Brook had always been mysterious and he wondered if she had always been like that. He would have to ask Birchfoot and Adlerleaf. He shook his head to clear it as Keen came over and reared on his hind legs, resting his front paws against Halftail's shoulder. "So we're going on another mission? That sounds awesome," he breathed with his ears twitching in excitement.

Halftail wasn't sure if that meant awesome, but Keen thought so. He wasn't about to argue with his Padawan so he touched his nose against Keen's ear. "Yeah, I guess we do have another mission. Now, we're leaving in an hour so go and get your things ready. I don't want you holding us up." Keen leaped down and Halftail thrust his head against his haunch to give him a harsher boost.

He darted forward and stopped by Swifttail, boasting to him about their mission. Swifttail's eyes glowed in amusement as he cuffed Keen's ear affectionately as he walked. Keen laughed, darting forward with his eyes lighting in excitement. Halftail watched them go and once they did, Adlerleaf and Birchfoot padded forward, in search of their mother. Molis and Bluefeather passed by and that left Halftail alone, his tail whiskered around his paws.

“Are you ready," asked Kanan as he came forward and scratched Halftail between the ears.

Halftail purred in enjoyment. He always told Kanan that he didn't want him to do that in public, but Kanan never listened. "I just need to grab a few things. Do you think that you could lend me a paw?"

Kanan nodded and Halftail led him back to the room that they had called home. He strode to the side of the room and lowered down to where his medical supplies was. To his displeasure, he was getting more and more from Birchfoot. He was constantly giving him more herbs to help with all of his medical condition, leaving him feeling highly medicated. He had his syringes, pills, herbs, and many other things just to keep him standing.

“Don't think about leaving that behind," muttered Kanan over Halftail's shoulder.

Halftail rolled his eyes as he closed the case and dragged it outward. He then strode over to the nightstand and opened it to find his lightsaber. He clipped it to his belt and stood, brushing his fur with a firm paw. "I hadn't planned on it. It's just so fish-brained that I can't live without it!" He slammed a paw on the ground and rage shone in his eyes.

Kanan kneeled down to face his friend. "Come on, now. It's not that bad. Besides, you can't help it," he pointed out as he opened the case and grabbed one needle and flicked the tip. "Now relax and I'll give you this so that you'll last longer on the mission."

Halftail was about to disagree, but he knew that Kanan meant well. He sat down on his haunches and thrust out his paw. He used to be afraid of needles when he was a kit, yet ever since he had gotten ill, he had gotten used to them. He had to, after all. He watched as Kanan took the needle and injected it into his vein. Halftail groaned a bit as he felt the liquid like fire enter his body. Once Kanan was finished, he took it out slowly and a bead of blood ran down Halftail's leg. Halftail then raised a paw and pressed it against his vein to stop the bleeding. It was easy to bleed out from a vein.

Kanan threw the syringe away before he stroked Halftail between the ears. "Ready?"

Halftail nodded as he picked up the case and threw it over his back. Kanan then took it and he thundered toward the Ghost. Halftail picked up the pace and he followed Kanan toward the Ghost. They pushed through and Halftail was a bit embarrassed to see that they were the last ones there.

“You're losing your touch, Dad," joked Swifttail as he flicked his tail tip to and fro in amusement.

Halftail rolled his eyes and he longed to wipe the smug look off of his son's face. "Kanan slowed me down," he lied and to his relief, Kanan didn't say anything.

Swifttail was about to say something else, when Brook padded past him. He shut his mouth quickly and allowed Brook to pass him. She blinked her eyes before she stopped at Halftail's side. "I give you credit; I couldn't do what you do," she confessed as she turned her head to face his. Halftail knew that she couldn't see, but it sure felt like her eyes were boring into his soul.

Halftail sighed heavily, his whiskers twitching. "I'm really not doing anything special. I'm just like any other Jedi," he pointed out, suddenly self conscious about himself.

Brook shook her head and Halftail noticed that her eyes glowed, despite her blindness. "You're one of the most wonderful Jedi that I've ever met: you and Kanan. Besides, you're an excellent father to both Swifttail and Keen. I just wish that I had been that attentive."

Halftail leaned forward and touched his nose to her ear. Her ear twitched and she drew away, a bit surprised that Halftail had done something so personal. She gave a firm nod as Ahsoka drew near and kneeled down. "Halftail, watch over Kanan."

That was something that Halftail would do without anyone telling him. However, he wasn't about to offend Ahsoka, so that he just dipped his head. "Will do. Wait, you're not coming with us?"

Ahsoka shook her head, resting a hand against Halftail's shoulder. Halftail let out a harsh breath, dipping his head to her. "I'm afraid not. Brook and I have something very important that we need to do."

Halftail didn't need to ask what it was. He knew what it was, but he wasn't about to push on it. Somethings were very personal. "May the force be with you," he meowed.

Brook chuckled as she leaned forward to whisper in his ear. She didn't need anyone else hearing what she was about to say. "And may Starbound light your path."

Halftail hadn't heard that in a long time. His Master had told him that instead of 'may the force be with you' and he never understood it. Now he did and he was glad that Brook had the same ideals that he did. He then watched as Brook and Ahsoka left. He felt a little empty, but he wasn't about to let that distract him from his mission.

He turned his head and saw Birchfoot standing and looking to where his Mother had gone. Halftail padded over and brushed his head against his shoulder. "You alright," he inquired.

Birchfoot's ears twitched and his head hung. "Yeah, it just took forever for me to find her and now I lost her again. I just don't want to never see her again."

“You will," assured Halftail. He knew that Brook wouldn't just leave her kits unless she had to. He then pushed his head against Birchfoot's shoulder. "Do you need some help getting your herbs or whatever storage back in order?"

Birchfoot smiled a bit and his eyes glowed. "That would be great, Halftail. Grab your medication and I'll keep some of them with me in case of an emergency and you can keep the rest in your and Kanan's room."

Halftail obeyed, allowing Birchfoot to lead him to his room. However, on his way there, he stopped and saw the beautiful picture of Bine that Sabine had painted. His throat seemed to close in grief and tears leapt to his eyes. He was just mesmerized by how lifelike she was. He had actually forgot that her picture had been there. It had been a busy couple of moons.

“Halftail, are you coming," called Brichfoot over his shoulder.

Halftail shook his head to clear it and embarrassment rushed over him. He darted forward and pushed into the room beside Birchfoot. Herbs were scattered everywhere, but it didn't slow Birchfoot down. He started organizing them right away. "So, how do you know that Brook will come back?"

Halftail pushed some contents of his case in a box and pushed it under Birchfoot's bed. He didn't want anyone to stumble on it. "I just have a feeling," he answered as he tucked some syringes into his belt as well as some containers of pills and the herbs he knew he would be able to get more from Birchfoot. "She lost you once too; she's not about to leave you again."

Birchfoot brightened and it wasn't long before he lurched forward with his ears pricking. "We're getting ready to jump to hyperspace. Keep your claws sunken in or you'll fly forward.”

Halftail obeyed and it wasn't long before he felt a larger lurch. He grumbled as his head collided with the wall and he shook his head to clear it. He sniffed as he found some shards of old herbs and pushed them toward the entrance. His half tail wasn't the best at sweeping up anything, but it did the job. 

“Halftail, do you know what this mission is about? I've asked, but apparently it's on a need to know basis that I don't need to know," he grumbled as he pushed some dried and shriveled herbs toward Halftail's pile.

Halftail didn't want to admit that he hadn’t been told anything about the mission either. He didn't even think Kanan knew. They were to find the Commander, but after that, he didn't know. He wasn't even sure if their way of finding the Commander would work, especially if he didn't want to be found. "I'm sure that Kanan knows. I was just talking to your Mother and she didn't actually tell me what it was about."

Birchfoot's face fell, but he brightened pretty quickly. "Then you better go and get ready. I'll be here if you need anything and if you feel ill in any way, let me know." 

Halftail touched his nose to Birchfoot's ear respectfully before he strode from the room. He stopped in the hallway once more and just stared at the picture of Bine. Her beautiful features glowed and he just wished that she could step from the picture and brush agains him like they used to do. He loved her more than anything, making the fact that she was gone forever sting even more.

“Hey, Halftail, can we do some training," begged Keen as he darted around Halftail with his wings flapping a bit.

Halftail purred as he nodded slowly. "Alright, lead the way," he joked as he stalked forward and after Keen. Keen bounced a bit on his paws and he strode over to the hanger. Keen leaped down and landed easily with his wings spread. He shook out his fur and he waltzed forward with excitement and determination gleaming in his blue eyes. Halftail couldn't help but purr as he watched his apprentice feeling so full of life.

“Remember, it's great to fight with a lightsaber, but you might not always have it. You need to learn to fight with claw and tooth as well. Are you ready to show me what you can do," he breathed with amusement lighting in his eyes. 

Keen lowered down and puffed out his wings to make himself look bigger. "I'm ready! I'm ready!"

Halftail sheathed his claws and bared his teeth to make himself look more fierce. He then lunged and was about to thrust his paws against Keen's chest, but Keen was quicker and easily rolled sideways. He then leaped onto Halftail's shoulders, causing Halftail to spin, throwing Keen from him. Keen landed harshly, dazed. He darted to his paws and shook his head to clear it. He lunged for Halftail's throat and even though Halftail spun, Keen was right there. He knocked him backwards, and when Halftail tried to rush to his paws, Keen jumped onto his shoulders. He pressed a paw against Halftail's chest and howled in victory.

Halftail was about to congratulate Keen when there was a sudden lurch and Keen fell forward with Halftail falling forward. The two surged against the wall and Halftail's world began to spin. He swallowed thickly as he rushed to his paws and shook his patchy fur. "Are you alright, Keen," chided Halftail as he curled around his apprentice.

Keen lifted his head and groaned a bit and Halftail realized that his eyes weren't focused. However, he seemed to be okay for the most part, so Halftail wasn't too concerned. "I'm fine, Halftail," barked Keen as he rushed to his paws, shaking his body with some feathers falling to the ground.

“Let's go see what happened," Halftail meowed as he stalked forward, curling his lip. Keen followed him and Halftail struggled to rush up the ladder. Keen flew upward and landed on the floor next to Halftail. Halftail surged into the bridge and some smoke blasted him in the face.

He ducked down and coughed heavily, shaking his head to clear it. He surged through the smoke and Chopper ran into him, causing him and Chopper to fall. Chopper made some very angry beeps and Halftail snarled a bit. "Get off me you piece of bolts," he snarled as he jumped up and pushed Chopper back on his 'feet'. 

Bluefeather jumped down from her seat and padded over to Halftail, dipping her head. "Oh, hello, Halftail," she barked through clenched teeth.

Halftail knew that this wasn't her fault, but as the pilot in training, she probably felt responsible. "Hello, Bluefeather. Care to explain what the force has happened," he growled as Keen collided with his haunch as he tried to push his way toward his aunt.

Blufeather hunkered down, dipping her head in respect. "I'm not sure. The hyperdrive was disabled. I have no idea why, but we're working on it."

“So we're not going to be able to make it down there," Halftail inquired as he reared on his hind legs, looking at the vast, almost dusty planet in front of them.

Bluefeather puffed out her fur and lifted her wings from her back. "You'll be able to make it down there, just not in the Ghost. You'll have to take the Phantom."

Halftail stifled a sigh as his ears plastered against his head. He heard thundering steps and he turned to see Swifttail, Adlerleaf, Kanan, Ezra, and Zeb all coming toward them. Molis brought up the rear with Birchfoot panting behind him. Halftail leaped onto a chair behind Hera and pulled Keen backwards so that Kanan could go and talk to Hera and Bluefeather.

“You're going to have to go down to the surface on the Phantom. We'll stay here and work on this," Hera murmured darkly as if she was angry that it happened to.

Halftail looked around and his gaze landed on his group. "I'll go as well as Keen, Swifttail, Molis, and Birchfoot!"

Adlerleaf and Bluefeather looked a bit downhearted at not being chosen, but Bluefeather was the pilot and Adlerleaf was great with fixing things like that. The two nodded and Halftail leaped down, nearly falling into Birchfoot. "Are you sure that I should go," murmured Birchfoot as his eyes shadowed. 

Halftail curled his tail around Birchfoot's shoulders. "I'm positive that you should go. Besides, I don't know how this Commander is going to react when we actually see him so we may need a skilled healer like you to calm him down. And what if we have any injuries?"

“I don't know if I'll keep up," fretted Birchfoot as his tail lashed his tail against the ground.

Halftail pressed his nose against Birchfoot's shoulder and purred warmly to try and make Birchfoot feel better. "You'll be fine. You should have more faith in yourself. I know that I have faith in you."

Birchfoot dipped his head. “I'll go and gather my herbs for the journey." He left with his hind leg trailing and agony pulsed through Halftail just thinking about Birchfoot's hind leg bopping against the ground. He knew that Birchfoot had probably gotten used to it, but he was sure that it was painful.

Halftail watched him go before Swifttail padded over to his father, his eyes narrowed a bit in anger. "Are you sure that it's a smart idea to have Birchfoot accompany us? He is a great healer and all, but there is no reason that he should be coming with us," he growled in a low voice so that no one else could hear them.

Halftail turned to his son and shot him a glance with his gleaming eyes. He wanted Swifttail to know that what he said goes. Swifttail was constantly questioning him and it was only getting worse as he became older. There was still a giant feel of resentment between them. “I trust Birchfoot and I think that I need him. You would do well to remember that Birchfoot is your superior and I better see you respecting him."

Swifttail lashed his tail in rage before he stormed off with his ears plastered against his head. Halftail couldn't help but let out a loud sigh at his son's attitude. It was nothing new, but that didn't mean that Halftail liked it anymore than before. He saw Keen surging forward and pawing a bit at his ears. "Do you think that we'll find the Commander," wondered Keen as excitement showed in his eyes.

“I'm not sure," confessed Halftail as he flicked his tail forward. "How about you get ready and I'll meet you at the Phantom and if you see Swifttail tell him that I expect to see him there in a better attitude."

The tension between Swifttail and Halftail was nothing new. Keen attempted to ignore it, but he hated it when Halftail thrust him in the middle. "Alright," he barked as he surged forward with his wings spread. Halftail watched him go and that left just Molis and Halftail.

“You better grab your things," suggested Molis as he curled his claws into his pads. "I think that Kanan wants to leave sooner rather than later."

Halftail nodded as he padded toward his and Kanan's room. He had just placed the best of his medication in there and now he was taking them. He picked up his case, making his way over to the Phantom. He pushed his way through and set his case under one of the seats so that no one else found it. He then heard pawsteps and footsteps approaching. He turned his head and realized that it was Ezra and Keen.

Keen barked as he leaped for Ezra's feet. Ezra pushed his friend and it warmed Halftail's heart to see the two enjoying each others company like that. He leaped onto one of the seat and his tail flicked to and fro as he watched them continue to play. Ezra even sat down and began to wrestle with Keen. He would grasp Keen's ears in his hands and throw him sideways gently. Halftail heard Keen whimper and yelp in play and he even let out growls. Halftail had forgotten that Keen was still a pup and pups liked to play sometimes just for fun.

“Don't play too hard or you'll be too tired for later," joked Molis as he padded forward with Zeb right behind. 

Keen growled as he saw Molis and he darted over Ezra as he surged forward. He leaped upward and onto Molis's firm shoulders. Molis wagged his tail as he turned his head and sunk his teeth into Keen's scruff. He swung him sideways and set him down gingerly before he nudged him toward Halftail. Keen leaped beside his Master and pressed his paws against his shoulders. "I told Swifttail, but he just waved me off."

Halftail hated when Swifttail treated the members of the crew harshly, just because he was angry with him. He couldn't stop it since Swifttail was an adult, but he would make sure to talk to Swifttail later about it. "That's okay. He'll be along," he breathed as he rested his head on his paws and watched Birchfoot and Sabine come in. 

Birchfoot had some herbs in a case like Halftail's. He placed it beside Halftail's before the tom leaped up beside Halftail and Keen. "Who are we waiting on now? Kanan?"

“And Swifttail," answered Halftail. He may not really like his son right then, but he wasn't about to forget him. They could use a cat like him. "They both better hurry up or we'll leave them behind." He wasn't exactly serious, but his tone made it sound that way.

Keen yawned as his tongue curled in his mouth. He pressed against Halftail, restinghis head on his shoulder. Halftail snorted in amusement at his apprentice. He was about to push him aside, before realizing there wasn’t a point. He rested his head on his own paws and drifted off into a deep sleep.


	79. Don’t Trust Them

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ahsoka sends the Ghost crew to find a group of clones while Halftail fears that he won’t be able to put his past behind him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warning for mention of blood/intravenous injections

Halftail awoke to someone shaking him. He lifted his head and realized that it was Kanan. "Hey, you can sleep later. Right now I need you help finding the Commander. Do you think that Keen could scout out ahead?"

Halftail attempted to lift his head, quickly finding that Keen's head was still flopped on his. "I can ask him, but don't expect much. We haven't worked on wolf tracking yet," he confessed as he rose to his paws and Keen's head fell forward. Keen slumped as he woke up, his eyes hazy with sleep. "Keen, it's time to wake up."

Keen rose to his paws shakily, shaking his head madly to clear it. "Sorry," he yawned, his teeth showing at Halftail. "Do you need something?"

Halftail nodded as he shook out his own fur. "Do you think that you could track someone in this desolate place," he asked hopefully.

Keen immediately woke up and his tail wagged madly behind him. "I can try," he exclaimed as his ears lifted on his head. He leaped down from the seats and padded toward the back of the Phantom. Halftail leaped down beside him, padding after him. He opened the back and he was glad that they weren't that high up so that it would be easier for Keen to fly. 

“I'll come and find you as soon as I find something." Keen then jumped out and he spread his wings powerfully behind him. Halftail watched him take flight before drawing back and twitching his ears. He waltzed back to the group and prayed that Keen would find something.

They continued on for a while around the ship, preforming numerous duties, but Keen never came back. Halftail had looked around for what seemed like forever, yet he couldn't see Keen. He leaned backwards and began to pace as worry made his paws prickle in unease. "I'm sure that he'll be fine," assured Molis as he took a step forward and pressed his nose to Halftail's ear to try and calm him. "He probably just wants to impress you and he's doing everything possible to find what you want him to."

Halftail wished that was all, but something just felt wrong. He couldn't quite place his paw on it. "Yeah, I'm sure," he meowed confidently. 

“Hey, what's that?"

Halftail leaned forward and narrowed his eyes to see where Swifttail was pointing. It was something that Halftail had seen before, just not in a long time. It was a Republic tank, but it certainly had a little twist to it. He had no idea why anyone would decorate a tank like that. It looked like someone actually lived in in, which was weird in itself.

Kanan turned the ship sideways for them to get a better look at it. Something about it made Halftail’s fur stand on end. It also didn't help that he still couldn't find Keen. Bluefeather would kill him if anything happened to Keen and Halftail would actually kill himself if anything happened to Keen. 

Kanan then landed in front of them and surprise shone in Halftail's eyes. Ezra rushed to open the back, surging out. Zeb and Molis followed right behind while Halftail hesitated. He turned his head and saw that Birchfoot's eyes were as worried as his were. "Let's walk out together," suggested Halftail. He was trying to comfort Birchfoot in anyway he knew how even as his own thoughts spiked in concern.

Birchfoot nodded and he hopped forward with Halftail following. Swifttail brought up the rear while Sabine and Kanan brought up the rear. Halftail padded out into the sandy place and he immediately coughed to clear his lungs. The dust aggravated his eyes as well and he lifted a paw to claw the sand from his eyes. He hated this weather and he desperately wanted to leave.

The tank suddenly stopped and Halftail couldn't help but allow a growl to roll in his throat. Swifttail did the same and Molis looked as guarded as both of them felt. It wasn't long before three older men stepped out from the tank. They were certainly older than Halftail would have thought to come out from a Republic tank, but he wasn't about to judge. 

However, behind the men stepped out a horribly disfigured dark brown and blackish tom cat. His face was covered in scars, lacing up and down his muzzle and cheeks while also covering his eyes. 

“Halftail!"

Halftail ear's pricked as he heard Keen's cry. He gasped as the disfigured tom turned and pulled a wolf pup with feathered wings out from behind him. The tom thrust him down and pressed a paw against the pup's face with his claws extended. Blood trickled from the pup's cheek. Halftail snarled. "Keen!"

Halftail took a step forward, but a shot from a blaster landed between his paws. He gulped with his ears plastered against his head fearfully. Another man stepped out behind the disfigured tom, his gaze fierce and unblinking. "You take one more step and I'll blow your head off!"

Halftail dipped his head as he took a step back with his hackles still risen. They couldn't hold his apprentice hostage and he wasn't about to allow them to keep him. Halftail was afraid that his emotions would overtake him, but to his relief, Ezra took control and decided to talk to them.

“We're looking for someone; can you help us," Ezra inquired with his blue hair whipping in the wind. 

Swifttail rolled his eyes. "They're just old fish-brained men! We can take them," he hissed as he raised a paw to graze his lightsaber.

Halftail stretched out his paw and rested it against Swifttail's paw firmly. "Don't do it," he meowed sternly. "This isn't a battle that we need to be fighting."

Swifttail reluctantly obeyed before Ezra began speaking to the men again. Halftail wasn't listening since he was watching as the tom continued to place his full weight on Keen’s body.

“They're clones," Kanan suddenly shouted as he drew his lightsaber and stood in front of the group. Halftail gasped as one clone with a scar over a white cybernetic eye stepped out from behind the battle scared tom. 

The clone with a white beard thrust the blaster down. "Stand down, solider! These aren't the Jedi that betrayed us," he hissed to his friend. He then turned back to the ground. "Sorry, we just had a blaster malfunction."

Halftail snorted as he kinked his tail over his back. "That's all very well and good, but I want my apprentice back," he snarled as he curled his lip.

The bearded man crossed his arms across his chest in distain. "We caught him snooping around. He was trying to learn our secrets."

“That was my fault," murmured Halftail with a slight dip of his head. "Don't punish him for something that I made him do. Just let him go."

The dark brown and black tom continued to stand over him with his shoulders thrown forward as he growled to Halftail. The clone with a shaggy, almost silver beard and hair looked down at the tom. He kneeled down and scratched the tom between the ears. "Let him go, Horror. The pup isn't to blame."

The tom, Horror, took a step back reluctantly and allowed Keen to stand. Keen flew down urgently and landed beside Halftail, shaking blood from his cheek. "Thanks, Halftail. I'm sorry; I should have been more discrete," he whispered as he pawed at the ground in anger.

Halftail touched his nose to Keen's cheek. "I'm just glad that you're alright," he breathed gently.

The bearded clone looked down to them before he smiled. "Sorry about all of this. I'm Rex, Captain of the 501st. This is Commander Gregor, Wolffe, and Swift." The cat with the disfigured face cleared his throat and show Rex a burning glance. "Oh, and this is Horror. He fought alongside us."

Horror puffed out his chest in pride, but Halftail didn't trust him. After all, he had kidnapped his apprentice and held him with a claw on his face. Keen stayed behind him and shot Horror the same cold glance that Halftail was shooting him.

‘I'm Ezra and this is Kanan, Sabine, Zeb, Molis, Swifttail, Halftail, and Keen. We were sent here by Ahsoka Tano and Brook," he explained.

Rex's eyes glowed at the mention of Ahsoka while Horror took a step forward, his long claws nearly curling up into his pads. "Ahsoka Tano. That's a name I haven't heard in a long time."

Keen took a step forward and Halftail wanted to call him backwards, but Keen had a mind of his own. "She said that you could help us. Is that true?"

Rex lifted his hand and motioned them in. "Come on up and bring your ship. I'm not about to send you away, especially if you know Ahsoka."

Keen brightened, and to Halftail's dismay, he spread his wings and flew up to them. He landed beside Rex, yet it was Horror who was interested in him. He stalked forward with his ears shoved forward and eyes blazing. "Your companion mentioned Brook. How do you know here," he challenged.

Keen gulped, struggling to stand his ground. "She rescued us a while back. She was with Ahsoka and we even have two of her kits with us. Well, one is with us, the other is aboard our ship," he rambled on as nervousness spread through him. 

Horror clicked his claws against the ground as interest shone in his one blue eye. "Interesting. What are their names," he wondered and his breath nearly made Keen gag.

Keen turned his head as the ship landed on the back of the tank. "Birchfoot, he's our healer, and Adlerleaf is one of the best hunters I’ve ever seen!”

“Never thought Brook would be the one to name her kits after trees, but what do I know? Framp might have chosen the names," he grumbled as he stalked forward with his tail neatly kinked over his shoulder.

Keen took a leap forward and tilted his head in confusion. "Framp? Who's Framp," he called. Horror didn’t answer. Keen stifled a sigh as he bounded after him, careful to give him enough space so that he wouldn't lash out at him.

Once the ship landed and the door opened, Halftail padded over and stood over Keen. He narrowed his eyes and Keen shrunk down. "Keep your guard up. There's no telling what they'll do to us. They've already kidnapped you."

Keen looked at his chest fur. "To their defense, I did land on their ship and Horror can't really see very well. I can see why they attacked me," he barked.

Halftail didn't care if Keen had attacked them. He was a pup for Lupus sake! "Come on," murmured Halftail as he flicked his half tail over his back. "Just stay behind me and don't tick of Horror anymore than he's already been ticked off. I'm not sure I can take on a cat like that.”

Keen had faith in Halftail, but he didn't say anything as he followed Horror and the clones into the lower level of the tank. It was a bit cramped with everyone in there. Halftail tried to keep as far away from the clones as possible, pressing himself against one of the walls. He was just pleased that Kanan had the same idea. He had as much of a dislike for clones that Kanan did.

“Were you really in the war," wondered Keen in awe as he looked up to the clones. He had heard great stories of them from his parents and they had always made it sound so heroic. Bluefeather had always continued on those stories and Keen knew that he would tell his pups the same stories, if he had them.

Swift rolled his eyes as he sat down and battered Keen away. Horror reinforced it with a stern growl and Keen melted backwards and nearly collided with Molis. Molis shot Horror a weary glance before he nudged Keen over towards Swifttail and Halftail. Keen was about to make his way over to Rex, but Halftail pressed his paw down on Keen's tail, warning him not to leave his side.

“Don't you want to help us against the Empire," pressed Ezra and Halftail had no idea why he was fighting so hard. He was pretty sure that it was a lost cause. They were clones after all.

Rex sat back in his chair and folded his arms behind his head. "Well, the Empire is no Republic, but what are a bunch of old men and a one eyed panther supposed to do about it?"

Birchfoot dragged himself forward and narrowed his eyes at Rex. Clearly, he had heard the stories too. "At least we're trying to fight," he pointed out before he scoffed a bit in laughter. "But we could just not try and then we'd be as useless as you."

A hiss sounded from Horror and he leaped forward, his hackles rising in anger. He bared his teeth at Birchfoot before he thrust a paw at Birchfoot's face and threw him sideways. Birchfoot skidded across the ground and rolled, flipping over his paws and landing harshly on the ground. Halftail snarled as he surged forward, blocking Horror from Birchfoot. His eyes stretched wide in anger, but he knew that he couldn't take on Horror by himself.

“Stop," screeched Keen as he surged forward and he bunched his haunches as he skidded to a halt in front of Horror. "That's Brook's kit!"

Horror’s remaining eye blinked in shock as he took a step backwards and plastered his ears against his head. "Brook's kit," he echoed as he gazed at the cat that he had just sent flying.

Swifttail lowered down and pressed against Birchfoot as he helped the healer to his paws. Birchfoot shook his head to clear it and Halftail saw a haziness to Birchfoot's eyes. Swifttail propped himself against Birchfoot so that Birchfoot wouldn't fall over. Swifttail lashed his tail as he braced his shoulders in anger.

Horror bowed his head. "He must be Birchfoot."

Birchfoot blinked his eyes at Horror before he drew away from Swifttail. He struggled to remain on his three paws. He stalked out of the room and no one tried to stop him. Halftail padded over and stopped beside Swifttail. "Stay with Keen and make sure he doesn't do anything fish-brained. I'm going to go check on Birchfoot."

Swifttail dipped his head and Halftail forced himself forward and he prayed that no one followed him. The sun burned into his eyes when he emerged from the dark room. He then saw Birchfoot leaning over the rail of the tank, gazing at the vastness behind them. Halftail sighed as he strode forward and stopped beside Birchfoot. "You alright? I saw that your eyes were a little hazy," he meowed with worry edging his mew.

Birchfoot turned his head and blinked his eyes at Halftail. "Yeah, I'm fine. I suppose I asked for it, challenging Horror and all," he pointed out as he looked away from Halftail, shaking his head a bit.

Halftail didn't blame Birchfoot at all. He just said what the rest of the crew of the Ghost were too afraid to say. "Horror shouldn't have lashed out at you like that. I just want to make sure that you're alright," pressed Halftail as he tried to get Birchfoot to gaze at him again, but the tom wasn't having it.

“I can't believe that my mother knew that cat," he muttered, changing the subject. “There is so much that she hasn't told me about and probably never will."

Halftail shrugged as he drew closer to his friend to try and comfort him. "She's a very secretive cat and can you blame her? I know that she loves you very much, though, and would never want to hurt you. Do you know how she even knew Ahsoka?"

Birchfoot shook his head. "Nope. I don't know too much. She always averts the conversation. I know that she means well, but if I want to find out information, I wouldn't learn it from her."

“Don't be too hard on your mother. She was the bravest cat that I knew."

Birchfoot and Halftail turned to see Horror drawing near them. Halftail stood in front of Birchfoot protectively and lowered his head into his shoulders, his tail sticking out right behind him. "Leave us alone, Horror. This doesn't have anything to do with you," he spat

Horror dipped his head in respect to both Halftail and Birchfoot. "Just let me speak. I knew Brook very well, a long time ago," murmured Horror as he sat a few paces away from both of them to show that he wasn't a threat. 

Birchfoot took a slight step forward and his ears twitched. "You actually knew my mother? When?"

Horror turned his one eye upward as he thought back. The only think that Halftail could think about was how horrid his face truly looked this up close. "I knew her when she was younger, but this is a story for along day. It's long and it certainly has enough twists and turns in it. Someday, someone should right a book about it," he joked before Swift and Gregor came out, followed by Zeb and Ezra.

“Are you asking them about the big bongo," inquired Gregor. Halftail swore that he was half crazy.

Horror drew back a bit, snorting in amusement. "Um, no. Should I have," pressed Horror as he blinked his remaining eye up at Gregor.

Swift kneeled down and stroked Horror between the ears gently. "Don't always listen to him. If he wants the big bongo then he has to ask for it," muttered Swift.

Gregor moved over to Zeb and Molis. "If you help us get the big bongo then we will give you all the access codes and locations of the bases not known to the Empire."

Molis blinked his eyes in surprise while Zeb looked just as hesitant. Kanan came out next and he shook his head. "Don't do it, Zeb. They can't be trusted."

“No bongo, no codes," muttered Gregor as he crossed his arms over his chest defiantly.

Zeb sighed before he nodded. "Alright, but you better have a good plan and not a Kanan plan, an actual good one."

Gregor's eyes glowed in a way that made the fur stand up along Halftail's spine. "Oh, I have a plan," assured Gregor, grinning from ear to ear.

Halftail knew this wouldn't end well.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

It wasn't long before Halftail felt his paws begin to shake and his body being to uncontrollably twitch. He felt his jaw go lax and his nose begin to leak a steady stream of blood. He surged into the Phantom, nearly falling sideways in the effort. He breathed heavily as he thrust a paw under the seat as he felt around. His paw managed to graze his case and he tugged it out, gazing at it in relief. 

He picked up a syringe and looked at it in relief. He thrust it into his vein and he felt a lot more pain than usual. He couldn't help but whimper as his paw continued to twitch and he ravaged his vein with the needle. When he finally managed to inject the liquid into his vein, he pulled it out and gasped as he thrust the needle down. He felt his body relax and his body stopped the uncontrollable twitching.

“Halftail, you in there," asked Kanan from the mouth of the Phantom.

Halftail sighed heavily as his eyes blinked the tears away. He hated when Kanan saw him like that, but he wasn't about to be able to stop it. "Yeah, I'm in here but I'm fine," assured Halftail as he slumped down, pushing the syringe aside.

Kanan came forward and kneeled down. He rested a hand on Halftail's back and forced him to look up at him. "You seem to be needing that more and more."

Rage shone in Halftail's eyes as he bared his teeth in a snarl. "I said that I was fine," he snarled as he turned away from Kanan and groaned as he rushed to his paws. "I just need to stretch my legs. Speaking of that, are we really going to help them. Brook, nor Ahsoka, said anything about clones."

Kanan hung his head in understanding. He then picked up the syringe and tucked it further under the seat of the Phantom. He wasn't about to let anyone figure out how sick Halftail was becoming. "I don't like it either," he muttered darkly and if Halftail didn't know better, he would have guessed that Kanan had actually growled. 

“I don't understand," groaned a voice and Halftail turned his head to see Ezra and Keen standing at the entrance. They came in and Halftail tried to shake his head to appear that nothing had happened. "Why don't you like them? And why are you whispering behind their backs?!”

Halftail wasn't about to have a kid talk to him like that. He grunted as he drew closer, but Kanan blocked his path. "Of course you wouldn't understand; you weren't there. You weren't even born," seethed Kanan as he peered down on Ezra angrily. 

Keen tried to catch Halftail's eye, but Halftail was avoiding him for a reason. His eyes hadn't exactly focused yet and Keen would be able to tell in a heartbeat. Keen then turned his attention to Kanan. "My parents always told me that clones were the good guys. Even Bluefeather agreed."

Halftail continued to look down before stomping a paw against the ground in rage. "Your parents weren't fighting the Clone War. We were. They killed those that we cared about," spat Halftail before he felt a strange shiver rushing through his spine like a cold waterfall. He drew away from the two and stalked back onto the deck, suddenly feeling lightheaded. 

He stopped beside Molis and Birchfoot. The two gave him slight nods but Halftail suddenly felt alone. They were helping those that had killed the only father figure that he ever had.


	80. Prey Eating Predator

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Ghost crew isn’t quite sure how to react to the clones, but a meal may bring them together or tear them apart.

Halftail watched as Zeb suited up with Molis weaving around him, offering jokes and jabs to try and lighten the mood. Halftail knew that Kanan didn't appreciate this idea and neither did he, but there wasn't much that they could do. They needed to know the places that the Empire didn't know about to form a base and apparently they were going to have to compromise.

“Your eyes are cloudy and your front paw is twitching," assessed Birchfoot as he shot Halftail a sideways glance. 

Halftail made an effort to push his one paw against his twitching one to try and disguise it. He should have known that Birchfoot would be able to tell. He was just pleased that he had said something when he was alone. However, he wasn't so lucky as Swifttail came up beside them. He nudged his father's shoulder and Halftail looked up at him in surprise.

“Dad," began Swifttail as he gazed at Halftail's cloudy and unfocused eyes. 

Halftail thrust his head sideways to where Keen was pelting Horror with questions. "Go and make sure that Keen doesn't get himself killed," he ordered in a tone that didn't allow arguing.

Swifttail dipped his head and Halftail was pleased that for once his son actually listened. He padded over to Keen and made sure that Keen didn't get himself killed. 

Birchfoot turned and pushed his head against Halftail's shoulder to push him back, just like how Swifttail had. "I want a full workup of you as soon as we arrive back at the Ghost. I'm worried about you, Halftail."

Halftail turned away from him and watched as the tank came to a grinding half. He stalked to the front of the line and actually stopped beside Rex. Rex looked down and smiled timidly at Halftail. "You know, my Commander often talked about Brook."

Halftail blinked his eyes in surprise as he gazed at Rex. "What are you talking about? Does everyone in the whole universe know Brook?"

Rex laughed as he shook his head. "No, no. Her and her friends stopped a bombing at the Jedi Temple. They were legendary but their names were probably changed. Anyway, she was a hero and so were her friends. If you'd like to know the story, Horror and Swift were personally there."

Halftail didn't want to talk to either of them, but he managed to nod in respect. He then heard screaming from Ezra and he surged forward. He stopped beside Kanan and he saw something come up from the ground and wrap it's tongue around Zeb. He then tugged it down and Zeb disappeared.

“What is that," gasped Molis as he stood with eyes wide and claws sinking into the tank.

Gregor's eyes seemed to be darting all around and Halftail was sure that he was crazy. "It's the big bongo!"

Halftail shook his head madly as he turned to Kanan. Kanan seemed just as shocked as anyone with rage shinning in his eyes. "That thing just ate our friend," snarled Kanan as he turned to look at Rex.

Rex huffed. "The only way for us to get your friend back is to catch the bongo. Help or you friend is gone," he pointed out.

Halftail couldn't help but growl as he turned to Keen and Swifttail. The two nodded as they darted over to Rex with Horror right behind. "Can we help," begged Keen as he nearly bounced on his paw in eagerness.

Rex nodded to Keen. "Use those nice wings of yours to fly over the place where it was last seen," he ordered, knowing it was just to distract him. It wasn't like Keen could do anything when he spotted it.

Keen obeyed eagerly as he spread his wings and took to the air, his muscles tensing and contracting. He flew overhead of Halftail while Rex had Swifttail leap on top of whatever Rex was using to contain the beast. He struggled to keep himself from falling as it swerved and swiveled madly. 

“Dad, are you going to help," grunted Swifttail as he nearly fell a few times, sinking his claws into it to keep himself grounded.

Halftail stifled a sigh as he padded over and perked his ears on top his head. He reared on his hind legs and helped himself up onto the heavy machinery and sunk his claws into it. Swifttail pressed against him and he closed his eyes, almost humming to himself. "Zeb is still alive. The creature swallowed him, but didn't eat him."

Halftail wasn't sure how Swifttail knew that, but he wasn't about to ask. The tank pressed it's legs into the ground and Halftail gasped as the regulation glowed red. "Um, Sabine," meowed Halftail as he felt the heat radiating from the radiator. 

Sabine came over and looked at the regulator. "Yeah, I got it. Move over," she ordered and the two toms leaped down. Halftail then saw Ezra standing on Kanan's shoulders and Halftail couldn't help but tilt his head in confusion.

Halftail bounded over to them and he looked to Kanan as he slumped a bit under Ezra's weight. "Swifttail says that Zeb is still alive in that thing. However, if we don't get it up then he's not going to last that much longer."

“Can you tell me that later, Halftail," grunted Kanan as he lifted on one leg and struggled to stop from tipping over. Halftail rushed over and grasped his leg, holding him firmly to the ground. "I'm kind of busy right now!"

Halftail rolled his eyes and once he was sure that there was no chance that Kanan would or could fall over, he took a step back and nearly collided with Swifttail. Swifttail twitched his ears and sighed. "I believe that we're close," he assured, and just then, the creature almost leaped out of the ground.

Halftail took a step back in surprise as the creature opened up it's mouth parts and let out the strangest and most awful sound that he had ever heard in his life. He plastered his ears against his head and watched as Rex fired his cannon and the creature fell sideways. Halftail let out a breath of relief without knowing if Zeb was alive or not.

Keen leaped over the railing and flew down to the creature. "Be careful, Keen," called Molis with a hint of worry sounding in his voice. 

Keen didn't say anything as he prodded a paw against the creature's massive bulk. The creature let out what Keen thought was a final grunt at life. He then drew back as he saw something moving around in it's throat. The creature's mouth opened and Zeb crawled out with saliva clinging to his body. 

“Zeb, you're alive," exclaimed Keen as he jumped a bit on his paws.

Gregor then charged forward and pushed Keen aside. Keen growled as he rolled and he shook his head to clear it. He then helped Zeb to his feet. "You had that thing eat Zeb," snapped Kanan from above and Keen grumbled as Gregor nearly kicked him backwards. Keen growled to himself as he spread his wings and flew back toward Halftail and he landed beside him.

“I was in that thing's mouth," shouted Zeb as he towered over Gregor.

Gregor turned Zeb around so that he could look at the creature. "You helped us bring the biggest catch that we've ever seen!"

Zeb smiled a bit and turned back up to the ground. "It actually wasn't that bad, Kanan. I knew that I had him from the very beginning."

Halftail rolled his eyes as he turned and tried to stalk back toward the Phantom. However, Swift blocked his path and he looked up to the older clone. "You can't leave without at least having some. I don't think that you've ever had that, have you?" 

Halftail shook his head. He hadn't and he actually didn't want to, but it really didn't look like he had a choice. "O-Okay," he stammered as he slumped back and nearly collided with Birchfoot. There was nearly nowhere for anyone to move without bumping into someone on the small tank.

Horror came forward and stopped beside Halftail. "How about you and I collect some of the bongo while the rest of them get the fire going?" 

“Could I help," asked Swifttail as he stopped beside Horror.

Horror dipped his head and he led Halftail forward with Swifttail following. They made their way down to the big bongo and Horror sliced his claws against the back. He looked like he had done that before and Halftail realized how long it had been since he had actually caught his own food like this and ate it raw. 

Swifttail plunged in and used his claws to strip the meat like Horror. Halftail copied their motions and helped them collect as much meat as he thought that they would need. They had a lot of them and most of them could eat like no one's business. "We should do this more often, Dad," meowed Swifttail as he continued to strip meat with his claws. "All we ever do is just have those fish-brained rations."

Horror purred in amusement. "I used to have rations all the time, but I understand that you want prey like this. You can eat this raw if you chose, but I wouldn't suggest it. Without cooking it there could be parasites that survived in here."

Halftail shivered at the thought of a parasite. He had enough problems without having a parasite as well. Once they finished with the meat they picked them up and brought it up to the rest of their group. They handed them over to Swift and Gregor and they turned to go and cook it.

“Come and see this," meowed Horror as he kinked his tail over his back.

Birchfoot, Keen, Molis, Swifttail, and Halftail came forward and followed the one eyed cat. Horror flicked his paw toward the sky and Keen gasped in awe. The sun was beginning to set and it made this beautiful almost white and red colored sky. Halftail had seen many setting suns but this was one of the most beautiful. 

Swifttail purred and Halftail didn't think that he had heard his son purr like that in a while. He hoped that it would continue even though he knew nothing lasted forever. Halftail pressed against Swifttail and licked his son's cheek affectionately. 

Rex then came over to them since Ezra and Sabine were standing over them and gazing up at the sunset as well. "We can give you those access codes while the food is cooking. We just need-"

“Discs, I got this," assured Sabine as she darted into the control room and nearly barged past Rex.

Rex took a step back and came over to Ezra and the rest of the crew. "You all did very well; not bad for first time hunters," he joked warmly.

Halftail smiled as he looked backwards at Rex. "We hunt, just not by letting some prey eat one of our friends. That's beyond me," he meowed evenly.

Rex just turned to speak with Ezra. Halftail huffed as he strode over to Kanan. His thoughts seemed elsewhere too and Halftail just wished that he knew what Kanan was thinking. He jumped up beside him so that they were close. "Credit for your thoughts," he pressed.

Kanan turned and smiled smugly at Halftail. "You can just ask, Halftail. I still don't trust them, you know that. Do you," he inquired.

Halftail snorted as he threw his head sideways. "Lupus no! I mean I don't trust them and I don't like them, but we seem to be the only ones. I am warming up to Horror, though. He doesn't seem as bad as I once thought," he answered as he twitched his ears as he heard stomping feet. "Incoming."

Sabine stormed forward and turned to glare at Rex. "You turned us into the Empire," she gasped and all eyes turned to see and hear what she had to say.

“What," gasped Horror as his remaining eye stretched wide in terror at her accusation. "How can you say that?!"

Sabine held something in her hand before she thrust it at Rex. "I saw the transmissions sent to them and here are the messages that Ahsoka sent Rex."

Rex shook his head in absolute shock. "That's not true! I didn't get any messages." He then looked before quickly realizing that they were there just as Sabine had accused. "I never got these earlier."

“Someone must have stopped them from coming in," meowed Birchfoot as he twitched his tail tip to and fro. "Someone who was always in there or at least in there most of the time." 

Swift turned first and gazed at Wolffe. Rex did the same and it wasn't long before all eyes turned to Wolffe. "Commander," pressed Rex before anyone else could say anything.

Wolffe looked away and a growl rolled in both Halftail’s and Molis's throats. Swifttail took a step forward with his claws jutting out and Keen spread his wings to make himself look larger. "They're Jedi! If the Empire knows that they were here they would come after us," argued Wolffe as he thrust his chin at Rex.

Rex rested a hand on Wolffe’s shoulder to try and calm him. "They weren't the ones that betrayed us. Besides, we can't live in fear of the Empire for the rest of our lives. That isn't living. They don't own us any longer." 

Wolffe sighed. He hung his head, but Halftail felt no pang of sympathy for him and he could tell that the rest of his group didn't either. "You're right," muttered Wolffe as he thrust his foot against the ground. "I'm sorry."

Swifttail suddenly stopped and pricked his ears as the fur along his spine stood up in shock. "Does anyone else hear that," pressed Swifttail as he turned to look at both Halftail and Keen. The two exchanged a glance, but they couldn't hear anything out of the usual.

“Halftail," Molis suddenly called before Halftail heard a blast. Halftail and Kanan surged forward and leaped to where the blast had gone off: inside the Phantom. Halftail dodged as a blast came toward him. He then darted sideways and hissed as he tripped over his own paws. 

The probe surged over Halftail and around Kanan as he started over to where it had come. Halftail rushed back to his paws, but he knew that no one would be able to make it there. "What are we going to do now," he snarled as he thrust a paw against the ground. "They have information."

Ezra suddenly came up and tossed a gun at Rex. "You have to make this right."

Rex caught it easily and aimed before he fired and destroyed the probe. The group cheered, but Halftail knew that they weren't out of the woods at all. The Empire still knew that they were there and what they wanted.

Swift came by with the cooked meat on a plate and he looked at where the probe had been shot. "Does this mean that we're going to have to fight the Empire when they show up?"

“Well, we can't get out of here," muttered Sabine. "Way too much damage."

Halftail shook his head madly as Swifttail pressed against him. "Can we at least eat," he asked his father hopefully. "We will need our strength for his battle."

Halftail wasn't about not to eat. Whenever he took his medication it always made him hungry. "Eat as much as you'd like, everyone."

Swift passed out the first round of meat and made sure the everyone knew if they wanted more he would cook some more. Halftail had three helpings before he couldn't force himself to eat anymore. However, the rest of the group looked like they could eat for moons to come. Swifttail ate the most and Halftail realized that he was his definitely his son. No other cat could have eaten his weight in bongo.

“Dad, do you think that the Empire is going to kill us when they find us," inquired Swifttail as he rested his head on his paws.

Halftail sighed as he rested his head on his own paws and yawned. That bongo was really starting to make him drowsy. "I think that they will try, but we're not going to let it happen. At least we better not."


	81. A New Dawn

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Halftail tries to get to the root of Kanan’s anger toward the clones.

Halftail awoke the next morning from where he had just slept on the tank's porch. He didn't exactly think that it was going to rain and his bet had paid off. He found that Kanan was awake as well, staring off into the distance.

Halftail stalked up to his friend and brushed up against his leg to make sure that Kanan knew he was there. Kanan looked down and kneeled, stroking Halftail gingerly. "They're coming; I can feel it," murmured Kanan almost in Halftail's ear. 

Halftail looked up and blinked his eyes against the rising sun. "So can I." He turned his head and saw Keen and Swifttail pressed against each other as if they were littermates. "I just wish that there could be a way that I could make sure that I can keep them safe. Right now, I don't even think that I could protect myself."

Kanan stood and leaned on the railing. "You can't feel responsible for them. They can protect themselves, Halftail. Don't act like they can't."

Halftail knew that they could, but that didn't mean that he couldn't or wouldn't worry. It just didn't work out like that. "Have you seen Birchfoot? He was gone when I woke up but I thought he may have went someone warmer. You know how his leg gets when the temperature drops."

Kanan shook his head. "No, I have no idea where he went. I'd try the Phantom if I was going to look anywhere," he suggested and Halftail was ahead of him.

He turned and climbed up the side of the tank to get to the Phantom the easiest. He peeked his head in and saw Birchfoot slumped on some of the seats. One of his paws was hanging off of it while he snored gently. Halftail stalked forward and sighed. He looked so peaceful and Halftail actually debated waking him. He finally decided on it as he reared on his hind legs, prodding a paw against Birchfoot's shoulder. 

Birchfoot sucked in a harsh breath as he woke up and his eyes struggled to focus on Halftail standing over him. "Halftail? I'm sorry, did I sleep in?"

Halftail shook his head as he leaped up beside Birchfoot and Birchfoot sat up. "No, actually you're only the third one awake. I just thought that you wouldn't want to be awoken by Keen or Swifttail because they wouldn't be so gentle."

“Then thanks for waking me up, gently. I have some herbs that I want you to take," meowed Birchfoot as he jumped down and landed harshly on three legs. He grunted as he dragged himself over and picked up some herbs before he set them up beside Halftail's paws. 

Halftail sniffed them before he wrinkled his nose. "I don't need any herbs, Birchfoot, but thanks for offering," he muttered as he pushed them back.

Birchfoot lashed his tail against the ground in agitation. "You obviously do need these herbs, Halftail. You do realize that you are getting worse. These herbs should help you for this battle, but when we get back I'll have to see about actual medications."

Halftail rolled his eyes as Birchfoot spoke. He couldn't help it. So what if he was taking more of his medication than usual? That didn't mean that he was getting worse or that he needed extra herbs. "Brichfoot, I appreciate it, but I really don't need these herbs. I'm fine."

Birchfoot grunted as he pulled himself onto the seat next to Halftail. He extended his claws and drummed them dangerous close to Halftail's tail. "Don't make me sink my claws into your tail. I will do it," threatened Birchfoot as he made his voice low and dangerous.

“Wolf-heart," spat Halftail as he lowered his head. He lapped at the herbs before he chewed and swallowed them. They were bitter and tasted awful, but he wanted to keep his tail away from Birchfoot's claws. He finished the herbs before he slumped back down, trying not to savor the taste for much longer.

Birchfoot purred in mock amusement as he followed Halftail to the front of the Phantom. "I have this weird feeling about the battle," he confessed as he glared at Halftail.

Halftail twitched his tail tip. "So do I, Birchfoot. Just be glad that you're not fighting," he muttered as he stalked forward.

Before he could get far, Birchfoot lunged forward and sunk his claws into Halftail's tail. Halftail cried out before he turned and nearly snarled at Birchfoot. "I can fight and you will let me fight. You don't have to protect me."

Halftail was hearing that way too much. He pulled his tail away from Birchfoot and the fur along his spine stood on end. "You are not in the condition to fight. Just do what you're good at and why I brought you here. Don't make me say this again," he muttered as he surged forward and stopped beside Keen and Swifttail. It was no longer so early so he knew that he could wake them up.

He thrust a paw against his son's shoulder and Swifttail lifted his head. His whiskers were pressed against half of his face as he shook his head. "Dad, what's up?"

“Time to wake up," answered Halftail as he sunk his teeth into Swifttail's scruff and gave him a quiet shake. 

Swifttail yelped as he pulled himself away from his father, gasping and shaking his head to clear it. "Alright, alright, I'm awake," he gasped as his eyes stretched wide in terror. "Just don't think about doing that again!"

Halftail rolled his eyes as he nudged Keen gingerly with his nose. "Time to wake up, Keen. If we're lucky or unlucky the Empire should show up soon."

That got Keen's attention. The pup nearly darted to his paws and his wings spread outward madly. "I'm ready! I'm ready!"

“That's what I was afraid of," joked Halftail as he ran his paws through his whiskers. "Anyway, don't get too ready or I'm going to have to give you to the Empire."

Keen bounced around a bit before he landed on Molis's tail with his hind leg. Molis nearly darted to his paws as he shook his shoulders at Keen. "Watch it, Keen! You're going to give me a heart attack!"

Keen ducked back in embarrassment and Halftail purred as Keen shuffled closer to Swifttail, who was grooming his fur with long strokes of his tongue. "Sorry, Molis. I guess I'm just excited. We haven't had a battle like this in a few moons," he pointed out as he puffed out his chest in pride at himself.

“And there's a reason for that," muttered Kanan as he drew near and kneeled down beside the exuberant pup. "We shouldn't want to pick battles with the Empire like this on their terms. They can blow us away in an instant." He snapped his fingers to give Keen an estaminet.

Keen wasn't used to be scolded by Kanan so he plastered his ears against his head in embarrassment. His normally wagging tail stopped while his eyes turned downcast. "I know. I shouldn't be this excited, but it's hard. This is how my parents used to live," he breathed in wonder. 

Kanan couldn't argue that with a pup so young. He suddenly heard a beeping sound from his communicator and he stood up to take the call. Swifttail then looked down to Keen and pushed his head against his shoulder. "Don't feel bad! I'm a little excited for this battle too. I'm sure that most of us feel the same way, but with Kanan we don't want to say it."

“Don't disrespect him, you two," chided Halftail as he began to groom his own disheveled fur. "He knows a lot and you would do well to learn from him.”

The two exchanged a glance before nodding. "We know, Dad. He just doesn't seem to be himself. He hasn't been since we've met up with Ahsoka," meowed Swifttail with darkening eyes.

Halftail didn't want to say so out loud, but he agreed with Swifttail. Kanan was different and he couldn't place a claw on it. However, Kanan came thundering down toward them and it woke up Horror, the only one of them who was actually still asleep. "They're coming, now, Hera just told me."

The fur along Halftail's spine stood on end as he looked to his group. They looked excited and frightened at the same time. He remembered being their age, young and excited of the unknown. He just wished that this unknown would stay unknown. "Alright, don't just stand around," countered Halftail as he pointed toward the control room. "Get in there! We need to discuss the plan."

They obeyed and the group charged in with ears plastered against their heads and breath caught in their throats. Halftail waited until everyone else was in before he charged forward and brought up the rear. He stopped and realized that it was too crowded for them all to stand comfortably. He marched over to Keen and nudged him onto Molis's shoulders. Molis didn't seem to mind and Keen sat on his back, his paws placed firmly on his shoulder blades. 

Halftail then pushed Birchfoot a little closer to Swifttail. Then, everyone could stand just not that comfortably. It would help if they had an actual debriefing room or more chairs. "So, does anyone have a plan," wondered Molis as he clicked his teeth together in distain.

Rex glared at Molis, but Molis didn't back down. He wasn't intimidated by those clones and Halftail wasn't either. If they were going to fight, they were going to fight with everyone's input into a plan. That is how they did it aboard the Ghost.

“Molis is right," agreed Halftail as he lashed his tail against the ground. "We need a plan before they get here. Having them blast at us isn't a great plan."

Rex seemed a bit taken back. "I never said that it was," countered Rex as he looked at the screens. There was a sudden pang sound and Halftail couldn't help but plaster his ears against his head. Wasn't anything in this bunker not annoying; machinery and people included?

Swifttail took a step forward and reared on his hind legs to look at the screen with flickering eyes. "What in Starbound's name does that mean," he grumbled in the same anger at the annoying sound as Halftail.

Rex shooed him away and Swifttail lowered down, not leaving his side. "Sand storm, coming our way," he answered as he turned to look at everyone.

Keen lifted his feathered wings and a few feathers fell. "So, what does that mean? Is it good for us," he pressed.

Horror swiveled his head around and his tail kinked over his back. "It depends, Keen. We'll be walking blind, but then again, the Empire will too," he murmured with his tail swaying behind him.

Keen snorted in anger as he thundered his paws against the ground as if he was a stamped. "Jedi can see in any conditions. We use the force."

Swifttail nodded in agreement while Ezra kneeled down and stroked Keen between the ears to calm him. "Keen is right. We can do this."

Kanan shook his head and Halftail was starting to become really agitated with him. He couldn't just act like there wasn't something between him and the clones with Kanan being brutal to them. They could have killed them if they wanted, yet they hadn’t. They weren't the ones that had killed their masters. "What we need to do is to leave."

“We can't, Kanan. The Phantom is too badly damaged," argued Sabine as she twirled a wrench in her hands. She flipped it into the air and caught it easily.

Kanan lowered down and narrowed his eyes at her. "Then fix it."

Birchfoot hopped forward and eyes turned to him from the sound of his leg dragging. Birchfoot hated that sort of attention, but he puffed out his chest in pride and made sure to keep his shoulders bunched. "She's been trying and I've been helping. However, we can only do so much with what we have. Don't get your ponytail in a bunch just because we can't fix a ship that you didn't sense being destroyed!"

All jaws dropped. Halftail had never heard that feistiness from Birchfoot, but he liked it. Adlerleaf had always been the fiercer of the two littermates. Halftail was sure that she got it from Brook and now he was seeing it from Birchfoot. Halftail thought about scolding Birchfoot, but he just couldn't bring himself to do it. He agreed with Birchfoot, yet he just couldn't say it to Kanan. That would destroy his friend if he didn't support his decisions. 

Birchfoot turned and stomped backwards with his hind leg continuing to drag. He stopped beside Molis and Keen. Molis was too shocked to speak as Keen bounced a bit on his paws. "Yeah, you go, Birchfoot!"

Kanan then stormed from the room and the door slammed with a swoosh. Halftail let out a ragged breath as he turned to his shocked comrades. "I'll speak to him." He stalked forward and followed Kanan's scent. It came from the Phantom and he grunted as he climbed up toward the Phantom. He pushed his way in and he saw Kanan laying on his back and under the control panel. Halftail had never seen Kanan working on a ship like that, but apparently Birchfoot's words had struck a nerve with him.

“Er, Kanan?" 

Kanan sat up and his head collided with the bottom of the control panel. Halftail winced, imagining the pain on his own head. He crept forward on his toes and stopped beside Kanan's shoulders. When Kanan realized that it was Halftail he pushed himself back under the panel. He was muttering something under his breath and Halftail was relieved that he couldn't hear it. He was pretty sure that it wasn't good.

Halftail rested a paw against Kanan's shoulder to push him a bit. "Kanan, don't ignore me. That's not going to help anyone," he pointed out with his tail twitching behind him.

Kanan groaned as he pulled himself out and he sat up. "What do you want, Halftail? If it's not important than get out," he shouted as he pointed at the entrance.

Halftail took a step backwards, but he didn't back down from Kanan. He lowered his head into his shoulders and he growled angrily. "We have been friends for almost out entire lives, Kanan. I know when something's bothering you and it's not just the clones. Now, you can either tell me or don't, but don't treat us badly because you are ticked at someone." He snorted through his nostrils as he turned and padded toward the entrance. It was always difficult to talk to Kanan like this, but it seemed even more difficult these last few moons.

Halftail was almost at the entrance when he heard a sigh. "Halftail, don't leave."

Halftail pricked his ears in surprise as he turned and strode back over to Kanan. He sat beside his friend and hunkered down with his tail curled a bit around his haunches. "If we're going to talk about this then we're going to do this in a civil manner. I don't want anything said that we're going to regret.

Kanan nodded as he sat up and across from Halftail. "Do you agree with what Birchfoot said to me," he wondered in a small voice, which was unheard of from Kanan.

Halftali opened his mouth to answer, but he quickly closed it. He had to be careful about what he said. "We're all stretched very thin and we're going for each other's throats. That's what a family does, you know that. I agree partly with Birchfoot, but not in the way that he said it. You should be glad, though, that Birchfoot is standing up for himself."

Kanan smiled shyly and Halftail purred in amusement. "Yeah, I guess. I suppose I just haven't seem him talk that much when Adlerleaf's not here."

“He is really growing. I just wish that Sorrelspeck was here to see how well Birchfoot is doing," he murmured. He had actually forgotten about Sorrelspeck and anger made his fur stand on end. She had been such a great cat and the fact that Halftail had forgotten about her made him actually hate himself. 

Kanan stretched out a hand and he scratched at Halftail's chin to draw his thoughts back to the here and now. "I'm sure that Sorrelspeck would be proud of him. We all are and that's why I walked away. I didn't want to say something that I would end up regretting. What do you think that I should do, Halftail? I know that you'll give it to me straight."

He had asked for it so Halftail decided to lay into it. "Well, for starters, it's not their faults about our masters. They were killed by different clones and even so, it wasn't the clones' fault. They were being controlled from what I heard. Another, we are going to have to fight. No matter how you work on this, it won't help. We will have to stand our and their ground.”

Kanan shook his head reluctantly. "We should just leave and not have them caught in the middle."

“We don't have that option," Halftail recalled as the fur along his spine stood on end in anger that Kanan wasn't getting it. "Everyone has to fight."

Halftail then twitched his ear as he heard a gentle hiss. He turned his head and he saw Horror standing at the entrance with his shredded ears twitching. "You all better get inside. It's starting to get bad out here," he offered as he waved his tail behind him.

Halftail twitched his own tail at Kanan and the two followed Horror out of the Phantom and into the still tight control room. Halftail then saw that they were all discussing the plan. Halftail was a bit bummed that he had missed it, but he knew that they wouldn't have all come together if himself and Kanan was there. 

“So, plan," meowed Halftail as he twitched his half tail behind him.

Ezra looked down at Halftail and smiled. "We're going to lead them into the storm. If we do, they won't be able to see either," he pointed out.

Halftail smiled in agreement before he heard what sounded like a ship flying above. He turned his head with his ears twitching. "What in Starbound's name was that?"

Keen darted past him with his ears plastered against his head. He gazed upward with his jaw gaping a bit. "Halftail, it's the Empire!"

Halftail exchanged a glance with Kanan and he surged forward. He jumped onto the platform beside the Phantom before he took off his lightsaber from his pelt with his tail. He twirled it around before he activated it. He bared his teeth in a bit of a snarl as he deflected some blaster fire away from the Phantom. Keen and Swifttail both jumped up beside him with their own lightsabers drawn and muscles tensed.

The ship passed by again and Zeb firing at the ship. "You're wasting ammo," muttered Rex as he came out beside them. 

Halftail whirled to face him with his ears thrown forward. "Not helping," he argued as he peeled his lips back in the beginning of a snarl.

Rex seemed a bit taken back with his hands lifted and turned to the rest of the group as they filed from the room and toward them. Horror jumped up beside Halftail and he blinked his remaining eye at Halftail. "I believe that it's time for the battle to begin," he breathed. 

Halftail didn't really want to admit that the battle was about to begin. He knew that they were good, but the Empire was about to do some things that they wouldn't be able to stop. "I couldn't agree more, Horror." 

Halftail then watched out of the corner of his eyes as he saw Gregor taking a step forward with a rocket launcher. He aimed and fired before it connected easily with the ship. It blew up and Gregor cheered in excitement. Horror let out a roar of agreement and he darted forward. Gregor kneeled and scratched Horror between the ears. 

“Do you think that was it," wondered Keen as he turned to Halftail with unblinking eyes.

Halftail twitched his ears as he heard what appeared to be a creaking noise. He darted forward and leaped up on the cannon. He trekked to the edge and narrowed his eyes with his ears thrown forward. He sighed as he saw what he was looking for. "No, Keen, I do not."


	82. Not The Final Battle

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> When Halftail pushes himself too far, he is instantly reminded just how fragile he really is.

Halftail leaped back down and whiskered his tail behind him. "Three of them. You'll be able to see them soon," he explained as he padded backwards and blinked at Swifttail and Keen. 

Keen flapped his wings and looked upward at where Halftail had been looking. He hadn't seen anything originally, but when he turned his head slightly, he saw what Halftail had been talking about. They were huge and clanking forward on giant feet and legs. He gulped as he lowered his head into his shoulders before he hunkered down. “They're huge," he gasped with his jaw gaping in awe.

Swifttail surged forward and pressed against Keen to calm him down. He then blinked his eyes and saw what Keen was talking about. "What are those things?"

“I don't know," meowed Halftail as he brushed the fur on the back of his spine. "But I can tell you that they're probably the nastiest buggers that we could have seen."

Horror blinked his one eye at them and his ears twitched on the side of his head. He watched as they walked and he sucked in a harsh breath. "They're pretty swift for their size," he pointed out. 

Halftail nodded in agreement. "Swift or not, they can still blow us up with the power of their canons. We might want to initiate that plan now," he offered, but when he tried to swallow, saliva became caught in his throat.

Kanan nodded in agreement and the group charged into the room. Halftail brought up the rear and pushed his head against Keen's haunches to force him forward. "Hurry up! We don't have all day, Keen!"

Keen darted forward and Halftail followed him. The door closed as they entered the sand storm and he sighed heavily. He slumped to the back of the wall with his paws thrust on the ground in front of him. He hovered over a picture that he pulled from his belt. He unfolded it and gazed at it fondly. He saw himself and Bine sitting together. They were so close that their fur brushed and their tails were intertwined. Bine's blue eyes shone as she looked into Halftail's eyes. Halftail's head was tilted slightly downward so that he could truly gaze at his mate’s beauty. Hee had remembered that heartbeat like it was yesterday.

“That's a beautiful she-cat."

Halftail nearly jumped when he realized that it was Horror. He went to fold the picture away, but Horror stretched out a paw and forced him to keep it out. He sat beside him and gazed at the picture with his remaining eye. "Was that your mate," he inquired as he ran a paw over the picture of Bine.

Halftail felt grief make his throat close. However, he wasn't about to let it control him, at least not now. "Yes, she was."

“I take it that she died," pressed Horror. He was a bit worried of pushing Halftail too far, but he was curious. He knew that Halftail had a son, yet he had never heard him mention a mate. 

Halftail blinked his eyes to stop the tears from falling down his face. He grumbled as he nodded, remembering the day that she had slipped away. "Yes, she did. She died not long after giving birth to Swifttail and his sisters. I wish, more than anything, that I could bring her back but I can't. I always keep this with me to remind me that she's always with me."

Horror gave a tiny dip of his head. "I'm so sorry about your loss. I'm sure that she would be very proud of you."

Halftail had to stop himself from laughing in Horror's face. Bine couldn't possibly be proud of him. He was failing miserably as not only a Jedi, but as a father as well. He knew that Bine loved him. He just wasn't sure if she was proud of him. "I have no idea. I suppose I never will."

Horror was about to say something when Kanan suddenly came over to Halftail. Horror gave them some space while Kanan sat beside Halftail. "Hey, are you looking at that picture of Bine again?"

Halftail threw his ears forward and allowed a growl to roll in the back of his throat. "Is there a problem with that," he reported tersely.

Kanan shook his head vigorously. He hadn't expected Halftail to be that defensive about it. "Um, no. I just was wondering if that was what you were looking at." 

Halftail moved his paws from where he had blocked Kanan's view of it. He sighed as he gazed once more at Bine's beautiful blue eyes. He looked up to Kanan with tears shinning in his eyes. "Being here brought back so many memories of my past with the clones. I know that my Master would have disagreed with my relationship with Bine. but I now realize that I don't care. But, that just made me think of her more," he croaked in grief.

Kanan sighed as he rested a hand on Halftail's back. A wail threatened to rise from Halftail's throat. “I heard you speaking to Horror earlier. Bine would be so proud of you, even if you don't think so."

Halftail couldn't believe that Bine was proud of him. He had done nothing that she would have been proud of. "How could she have been proud of me? I haven't done anything but make a mess of things," he pointed out with his tail sticking out straight behind him. 

Kanan rolled his eyes. He didn't have a mate, yet here he was, trying to explain things to Halftail. He thought that this was the strangest thing, but if it would make Halftail feel better, then it would be worth it. "Love is unconditional. She is proud of you because it is spawn out of love. I'm surprised that you didn't know that."

Halftail shook his shoulders as he folded the picture and tucked it back into his belt. "I know it, but accepting it is another story," he pointed out as he looked to Swifttail and Keen as they talked with their heads ducked close together while they whispered. 

Halftail sighed as he rose to his paws. He arched his back as he heard Rex talking to the group. He wasn't about to just sit there and watch them doing things without him. He grunted as he leaped beside Birchfoot, who was looking up at Rex with admiration shinning in his eyes.

“What are we going to do," inquired Molis as he shot Halftail a glance.

Halftail opened his mouth to answer, quickly realizing this wasn't his field of expertise. He looked up to Rex with his tail tip twitching. "Rex is the one with the plan. I do what he does," he croaked painfully. It was extremely hard to admit that Rex had better ideas than him.

Rex smiled at Halftail. The puma narrowed his eyes. He didn't need Rex’s thanks. He didn't do it for him. Rex looked over to the group. "We are blind here with the scanners, but the Jedi can see. We should have Kanan lead us while someone shoots those walkers."

Sabine nodded slightly. "The only weak spot would be the neck."

“We can do it," assured Keen with excitement showing in his eyes. He puffed out his chest in pride and Halftail sighed in amusement.

Kanan looked to Halftail and he nodded slightly. Kanan kneeled and rested a hand on the back of Halftail's neck. "Do it with me. It will be better if we combine our powers with the force," he advised.

Halftail was a bit reluctant, but Kanan had asked. He murmured slowly into his chest fur before he raised one paw and rested a bit against Kanan since he had problems with balance. He concentrated hard and he felt the force all around him. He murmured almost to himself with his eyes narrowed to slits. He breathed heavily as he tried to advise them on where to go. However, there were too many thoughts whirling inside his head. He had no idea what was wrong, but he knew that he was probably doing more than good. 

Halftail broke off and he felt his body beginning to twitch and convulse. "Oh, wolf scat!" He suddenly collapsed with his paws pushed into his chest and his jaw cracking to one side. 

Horror jumped sideways and recoiled in disgust. "What is happening to him?!"

Birchfoot surged forward with his hind leg dragging behind him. He pressed a paw against Halftail’s neck to feel his pulse. He then looked to Molis, who was standing in shock. "You need to get the case in the Phantom and fast!"

Molis was about to point out that there was a sand storm devastating everything outside, but without the case, Halftail would die. He dipped his head to Birchfoot before he soared forward and past Swift. 

Halftail continued to convulse and twitch with his body being thrown all over. His flank pushed upward and Birchfoot struggled to keep his head from slamming against anything. Kanan looked down in terror while Birchfoot shook his head madly. "Keep going. I got him."

Kanan nodded as he stretched out his hand and tried not to allow Halftail to creep into his thoughts. Birchfoot kept Halftail steady while he seized, applying enough pressure to keep Halftail from hitting the ground to biting his tongue. He knew that this must be painful, yet he couldn't do anything about it. He leaned down and whispered into Halftail's ear. "It's going to be alright," he breathed gently. "Just hang on."

Molis hissed as he darted forward with the case clamped firmly in his jaws. Him and the case were covered in sand, but it didn't slow him down. He set it down at Birchfoot's paws and sighed heavily. He gave his fur a firm shake to dislodge the sand. Birchfoot nodded thankfully as he thrust it open. He realized that he was certainly running out so he better not have another reaction like this again or Birchfoot wouldn't be able to do anything for him.

He gasped the syringe in shaky paws and flicked the tip. Golden liquid dripped from it and he nodded. He tried to insert it into Halftail’s vein, but the convulsing tom was thrashing too madly. "Someone needs to hold him down," Birchfoot ordered with his ears shoved forward.

Molis and Horror surged forward. Molis thrust his paws down on Halftail's shoulders while Horror grasped his haunch. Halftail was strong for being a relatively small cat. Swifttail and Keen crept forward and terror shown in Swifttail's eyes while color faded from his face. He managed to jump onto Halftail's side before he reached up and grasped his father's foreleg. Keen helped hold down his side while Swifttail's eyes flickered to Birchfoot.

Birchfoot didn't waste any time. He thrust the tip of the needle into Halftail's vein. He injected it before he tugged it back and pushed his paw against the vein to stop the bleeding. Once he was sure that it was done, he took a leap back and nodded to the group. They obeyed and flowed Birchfoot’s lead, allowing Halftail room. 

It took a while, but eventually Halftail's eyes stopped rolling in his head and he managed to suck into his breath. His flank was still doing it's usually strange twitching, but at least he could control his movements more. He groaned a bit in pain before Birchfoot lowered down. "Are you alright," he murmured as he touched his ear comfortingly to Halftail's ear.

Halftail lifted his head weakly and forced a smile. "I'm fine, Birchfoot. I just need to catch my breath and I'll be perfect," he assured. 

Birchfoot's jaw gaped a bit before he shook his head with his tail tip twitching. "No, you won't. You're going to rest. You just had another fit." 

Halftail didn't remember anything that had happened, but he did feel pain in his whole body and he was pretty sure that he had strained some muscles. He saw Kanan with his hand stretched out realization rushed through him like a river. "I failed," he breathed and a picture of Bine flashed in his head. I failed! I couldn't even help my friends.

Birchfoot raked his sheathed paw against Halftail's face to snap him out of it. Surprise shone in Halftail's eyes while Birchfoot's ears shoved forward. "Listen to me; you didn't fail anyone. You're a sick cat, Halftail. You probably shouldn't even be doing this. If you push yourself too far, eventually you will fall and I won't be able to pick you up."

Halftail just shook Birchfoot's worry from his pelt. He was absolutely fine. He rose to his shaky paws and he nearly collapsed, but Molis rushed forward to catch him before he could. "What can I do," he asked as he looked to Kanan.

Kanan looked at him and shook his head gravely. "You can't do anything, but I could use Swifttail and Keen to help Ezra," he told him.

Halftail pretended not to be hurt as he hopped forward and looked down to his son and Keen. Swifttail still looked terrified while Keen shuffled his paws when Halftail tried to look at him. "You two are going to have to help Ezra spot those things in the sand. Can you do it?"

Swifttail shook the worry from his eyes as he slammed a paw against the ground and puffed out his chest in pride. "Yes, Halftail!" Keen gave a small nod while Swifttail nudged his haunch to force him to move. They darted after Sabine and Ezra.

Birchfoot hopped over and lowered down with his head lowered into his shoulders. His tail curled around him and he breathed heavily against Halftail's ear. Halftail turned his head with his eyes flickering in almost grief. "Hey, you okay? You don't look very good." He settled beside Halftail and began to groom the matted brown tom's fur.

Halftail hated showing weakness around people that he didn't know. He muttered fiercely as he hunkered down even more. He was tempted to push Birchfoot away, but he knew that wouldn't be a good idea. "I just hate being like this. Everyone saw me doing that horrid thing!"

Birchfoot sighed as he rested a paw on Halftail's paw to try and comfort him. "You are not weak. You are pushing yourself so hard, we all are. You just need to take it easy," he breathed as he touched his nose to Halftail's ear. 

Halftail grunted in disagreement. Birchfoot rose to his paws and stretched out. "Just take it easy. You are anything but weak." He then hopped forward and stopped beside Molis. They began to talk and Halftail felt alone. 

To his surprise, Horror came over and sat beside him. "That was brutal," he gasped as he looked into Halftail's eyes. 

Halftail looked away and sighed heavily with his tail tip twitching in anger. "Yeah, I guess," he muttered since he was sure that Horror would say something about it.

Horror blinked his eye when he realized that Halftail was uncomfortable about it. "Oh, I'm sorry! I didn't realize that you were uncomfortable about it. I won't talk about it if you don't want me to," he offered. 

Halftail sighed as he rested his head on his paws. "No, you can talk about it. Just don't tell me what happened while it was happening." He hated the fact that he looked like an absolute idiot, yet there was nothing he could do about it. He was just a weak, weak cat.

Horror nodded as he raised a paw and licked at his paws. "Does it hurt? When that happens?"

Halftail sighed as he stroked a paw over his ear to try and drown out the sounds of everyone talking. "The whole time. However, I'm only awake for some of it before I lose consciousness. You don't have to worry about it, though. I can take the pain," he assured as he tried to make himself seem strong.

“You're certainly a stronger tom than I ever could be. When my eye was clawed out and my face was destroyed I yowled like a kit," he joked. 

Halftail couldn't imagine that. However, he knew that Horror probably wasn't lying. "Yeah, but that was a real injury. Mine is an illness that I can't escape."

“But you haven't let it control you," he pointed out gently. "That takes skill."

Halftail then heard a yip of excitement as Keen darted in. His fur was clotted with more sand that probably was outside, but his eyes shone in excitement. "We did it," he cheered as he nearly flipped in the air.

Halftail purred as he strode forward with his paws steps swaying a bit. He touched his nose to Keen's forehead. "How about you show us now that the storm has dispersed," he offered.

Keen howled in excitement as he turned and charged forward. Halftail and the rest of the crew followed. Halftail nodded to Swifttail cooly. His son stood next to Ezra with sand streaming down his pelt like a river. Swifttail padded forward and wove around his father, purring noisily. "Great job, Swifttail."

Kanan came up and looked to the crew. "It's time to go. The storm has hindered us, but now that it’s passed us we can move on,” he announced.

Swifttail's eyes stretched wide before he lashed his tail at Kanan. "We can't just leave them here in the middle of this battle! The Empire will kill them," he protested with his mouth stretched open wide.

Kanan swiveled on him and pointed at him anger. "I'm not going to argue with a Padawan over this. Get to the shuttle, now!"

Swifttail recoiled, anger burning in his eyes. He stalked forward with his head lowered into his shoulders and tail tip twitching dangerously. Halftail gave his son a firm growl, but Swifttail couldn't have cared less. Keen followed hesitantly while Molis shot one more look to Horror over his shoulder. Birchfoot hopped forward with Halftail's case clamped firmly in his teeth. Halftail sighed as he turned to Horror and dipped his head in appreciation. "May StarBound light your path," he breathed with his whiskers twitching.

Horror bowed to Halftail; a show of extreme appreciation and admiration. "And yours as well."

Halftail was terrible with long, drawn out good-byes so he skirted quickly after the crew. He saw that Ezra was having just as hard of a time leaving as Swifttail had. He sighed as he marched forward and curled his tail around Swifttail's shoulders. Swifttail looked up to him and flashed the conversation back on Halftail. "Dad, are you taking your medication?"

Halftail was a bit blown away by Swifttail's question. He had to remember that Swifttail wasn't a kit anymore. He had a mate of his own and he saw things. Keen did as well. They both were smarter than he gave them credit for and they took everything in. That being said, he still wanted to protect his son from whatever he could. And he felt like he could protect him from the truth. "Er, I am. I just had a dangerous spell when I tried to connect with Kanan through the force. I'm sure that it was just a mishap," he lied with a bright smile on his face. 

Swifttail pulled away as he jumped onto a seat. His lightsaber clicked against the metal of the seat from where it held tightly onto his belt. Halftail sighed as he leaped beside his son. He leaned close to Swifttail so that their muzzles were almost touching. "I'm going to be fine," he assured. "You don't have to worry about me." 

“I can't help it," confessed Swifttail as a hint of amusement crept into his eyes. "You're too fish-brained to not get yourself into trouble."

Halftail cuffed his ear affectionately and a purr rolled in the back of his throat. "Well, maybe I should be the one worried about you? You have your own way of getting into trouble."

Swifttail snorted a bit in amusement before he felt his fur tug a bit in a different direction. Halftail felt the same tug and he lifted his head in surprise. Keen darted over and jumped up, staring at both Swifttail and Halftail. "Kanan is turning us around! We're going to help," he yipped as he battered his paws against the metal of the ground. 

Halftail looked up to Kanan and gave a proud nod of his head. He jumped from the seat with Swifttail right beside him. "I think that you made the right decision," he told him as he grabbed his lightsaber with his tail. He twirled it a bit and excitement shone in his eyes. 

Kanan kneeled and ran his fingers through Halftail's thick fur. "Are you sure that you're okay? I don't know if you should be fighting." 

Halftail puffed out his chest and lashed his tail to and fro. "I'm fine! I can do this, Kanan. You just have to have faith in me," he told him firmly.

Kanan forced a nod as he grabbed his own lightsaber. Halftail passed Birchfoot and Molis from where they were sitting next to Sabine. They would stay aboard while the rest of them helped the clones.

Halftail strode to the edge of the Phantom and the door opened. Wind thrust in Halftail’s face and he closed his eyes as sand particles threatened to blind him. Keen lowered down beside him with his muscles tensing in his small frame. Swifttail pressed against his father with his lightsaber curled tightly in his tail. They passed over the the walker and the group jumped with lightsabers activated. 

Halftail thrust his lightsaber into the nearest walker to him with Keen and Swifttail copying them. He knew that it was semidifficult for them to control their lightsabers with their tail, but it was almost a must for animal Jedi. Once they had all opened it, he plunged downward. He landed on a Stormtrooper before he collided his paw against the trooper's neck and snapped it easily. He hissed as Zeb marched forward and grasped two of the troopers' heads and snapped them against each others to knock them out. 

Halftail then felt the ground lurch as they turned to the walker and began to fire it on the remaining one. He yowled in excitement while Swifttail matched it. Keen howled with his tail wagging. Kanan laughed as he scratched both Keen and Swifttail between the ears. "Never before have I seen such loud Jedi."

“You haven't met us," joked Keen as he butted his head against the back of Kanan's leg in an attempt to take him down. However, Kanan was ready and pushed him sideways. 

It wasn't long before the other walker crashed and burned. They climbed from the walker and jumped down on the clones' tank. Horror purred as he stalked forward and touched his nose to Swifttail's ear. "I'm so glad that you two came back. You saved us. We live to fight for another day," he agreed as he ducked his head a bit.

Halftail nodded as he looked to to Horror, Swift, Rex, Gregor, and Wolffe. “I don't suppose that you five would come with us now?"


	83. Painful Tests

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> After Halftail’s fit during the latest battle with the Empire, Birchfoot insists that he preforms some tests. If only things were that simple.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warning for graphic depictions of seizures and other medical procedures.

As soon as they arrived on the Rebel ship, Birchfoot wanted to usher him away. Halftail was reluctant, but he knew that Birchfoot just wanted to run some tests. Tests didn't bother him and neither did needles, actually. What did bother him was medication. He hated taking any form of it. It changed the way that he thought and his usually sharpened skills were dull and lifeless. It wasn't worth it to Halftail, yet Birchfoot seemed to disagree. 

“Can't I wait until after I see Brook," Halftail practically begged as he romped down the hallways after Birchfoot.

Birchfoot looked over his shoulder as he hopped forward painfully. "The sooner I assess you the better," he pointed out as he looked back to where he was walking. "Besides, here we have a lot of technology that I don't have on the Ghost. It can help me, help you."

Halftail didn't think that he needed help. He was sure that he just needed sleep or something good to eat. Birchfoot seemed to have a different idea to what Halftail needed. Halftail couldn’t help but disagree. "I'm sure that what happened earlier was a fluke," he pointed out.

Birchfoot stopped at a lab and he raised a paw painfully. He pushed a paw against it and the door opened. He hunkered back down and dragged himself forward. "I think it not happening all the time is a fluke. Just shut your muzzle and get in there so I can examine you!"

Halftail plastered his ears against his head as he forced himself forward with his tail tip twitching. He stalked forward and leaped onto an examination table. It was low enough for Birchfoot to reach over without struggle. Halftail wished that they could be doing this on the Ghost; it was a lot more comfortable and less like a lab. That was probably why Birchfoot liked this one better than the one on the Ghost. 

Birchfoot padded over to him and smiled at Halftail. "So, how are you feeling right now?"

Halftail wasn't exactly sure that this was what Birchfoot meant, but he just decided to go with it. "I feel great," he meowed with his chest puffing out in pride. 

Birchfoot twitched his tail tip as he curled his tail behind him. "Don't lie to me, Halftail. You had one of your episodes less than a few hours ago. You probably don't feel very well."

Halftail lowered his head into his shoulders and grumbled a bit. "I said that I was fine," reported Halftail as he twitched his tail tip. "But I'm here so you might as well do your whatever you want."

Birchfoot knew that was probably all that he was going to get out of Halftail. He hopped forward and raised a paw to take Halftail's pulse. It was a little quicker than he would have liked, but they had just been in a battle, so he was willing to overlook it. He checked the rest of his vitals before he decided to just talk to Halftail and see what he could find out.

“Alright, just tell me how you felt over these past few moons," meowed Birchfoot as he sat back down on his haunches and gazed expectantly up at Halftail. 

Halftail licked a paw, drawing it over his ear. He had really been feeling rather awful, but he didn't want to admit it to Birchfoot. He didn't want to worry him either. "I'm fine, I promise."

Birchfoot let out another sigh as he lowered his head into his shoulders and tensed his claws. "I'm going to start pulling it out of you if you don't start talking," he threatened.

Halftail finally sighed as he raised his head to meet Birchfoot's stern gaze. "Fine, maybe I'm not as alright as I would have wanted. I just don't know what's wrong with me, Birchfoot. It's just a lot different than it used to be."

Birchfoot certainly agreed with that. “I'd like to take some blood samples and maybe a CT scan. I think that we should also do-"

Halftail zoned out after a while. He knew that Birchfoot only wanted to help him, but it was just a little taxing to keep hearing him talking about medical terms that he didn't understand. He sighed heavily as he looked to Birchfoot. "That just sounds like a bunch of poking and prodding."

Birchfoot shrugged a bit as he turned and grabbed some empty tubes and a needle. The smell of alcohol seared through him and Halftail groaned. "It probably is, but I want to be safe rather than sorry. Besides, these fits that you keep having are extremely dangerous. They could cause brain damage."

That sent shivers up Halftail's spine. He didn't want to think about brain damage or what could happen. He knew that if something like that happened, he couldn't be a Jedi. He had always had these strange fits, but there was never a chance of brain damage. "Do you think that I'm getting worse?"

Birchfoot didn't want to scare Halftail, but he had to know what was happening to him. "I don't think that we need to be that afraid of things, Halftail. I will help you through this," he assured as he touched his nose to Halftail's ear. "Now, be still and let me finish these tests."

It took hours, but eventually Halftail had gone through all of Birchfoot's testing. His stomach began to growl and he wished that he could get something to eat and then get some sleep. His whole body ached from the needles and the prods from Birchfoot. "May I leave now," he groaned as he blinked his eyes tiredly.

Birchfoot knew that Halftail wasn't going to like this next one and he didn't like doing it, but it had to be done. "Actually, I have one more thing that I want to do."

Halftail slumped down and lashed his tail. "What could you possibly want to do to me that you haven't already done," he complained as he thrust his paws upward and curled his claws a bit in on his pads. 

Birchfoot sighed as he drew toward Halftail and began to attach some things to his head. It was cool against Halftail's skull. Surprise showed in Halftail's eyes. "Could you get those things off of my face," he growled as he bared his teeth at Birchfoot.

Birchfoot then clicked something on and stood across from Halftali. Concern and fear showed in his eyes and Halftail had no idea why. "Now, I'm going to do something that you're not going to like."

“Like what," asked Halftail as a growl rolled in his throat in anger. He didn't like the sound of that.

Birchfoot thrust a paw against the ground before he raised a paw and brushed it against the back of his neck in fear. "Well, I have to replicate one of your fits or whatever you call it so I know how to treat it. I need to see how your brain works during one of them," he told him, a bit worried about how Halftail was going to react to that.

Halftail's jaw dropped with his tail kinked over his back. "So, you just want to just take that pin of that grenade? This isn't a good idea, Birchfoot."

Birchfoot couldn't agree more, but this was going to have to work. If not, things would only be able to get worse. "Just let me do it once. I'll be right here to stop it, once I get what I need to know."

Halftail sighed as he narrowed his eyes to slits. "Fine, but I don't agree with this for the record," he reported as he laid down since he knew that when it would start, he would end up laying down anyway. "Get on with it. After this I'd like to eat."

Birchfoot smiled as he looked to Halftail and adjusted some things on the table. "I'd like to join you if you're still willing to be my friend," he joked as he readied himself. "Ready?" 

Halftail took in a deep breath as he raised a paw and flicked it slightly. Birchfoot took that as a sign that Halftail was ready, even if he wasn't. He typed some things on his PADD and he slumped forward. He hit the initiation and different electrical pulses surged through him. It wasn't long before Halftail collapsed.

His paws pulled close to him and twitched so many different ways that it made Birchfoot’s body ache just thinking about it. His eyes rolled back in his head and twitched around under his eyes socket. Birchfoot had never just watched this and he was pretty sure that this wasn't a good idea anymore. He wanted to stop it more than anything, but it was too far gone to go back now. He had to go through with it, even if it was painful to watch. However, it was probably even more painful for Halftail who was actually experiencing it.

Birchfoot continued to watch as Halftail continued to roll with his whole body shaking madly. His jaws went opposite ways and foam pooled from his mouth. The screen blared and screech as he took record of what was happening in Halftail’s brain. Birchfoot’s eyes couldn’t leave Halftail. He went one for a few more minutes before Birchfoot realized that he couldn't just keep him convulsing like that. 

Luckily, Halftail eventually stopped his convulsions and twitching on his own. He sucked in a ragged breath with his ears twitching. He looked up at Birchfoot and groaned in agony. That had been more brutal than Halftail originally expected. He bolted upright suddenly, vertigo setting in. He slumped back down, gagging as he vomited. His eyes started to focus on the world in front of him, enabling him to see Birchfoot standing in front of him. "Did you figure out what you wanted," he growled in pain.

Birchfoot nodded slowly, feeling awful that he had put Halftail through that. "I think so. I'll have to process the results, but was that just me or was it brutal?"

“It was brutal," agreed Halftail as he struggled to sit up.

Birchfoot surged forward to the best of his ability and pressed against Halftail. He helped him sit upright by himself. He groaned a bit in pain and Birchfoot feared that Halftail had done something serious. "Do you need anything? Are you alright?"

Halftail snorted in mock amusement. There was no way that he was going to allow Birchfoot to do anything else to him. He was already in pretty messed up shape. "No, I'm fine," he rasped since he felt as if someone was pressing their front paws on his chest to hold him down. "Just a little sore but that will wear off, I'm sure."

Birchfoot wasn't so sure. He knew that he had probably put Halftail through enough to last a lifetime. He sighed as he moved away slightly from Halftail and watched as the tom struggled to stand. "Can you stand by yourself?"

Halftail nodded weakly as he leaped down. His paws gave out and he landed painfully, hurriedly trying to push himself back to his paws. He flicked his tail back to Birchfoot before he stumbled from the room and ran into someone.

He heard an angry hiss. "What gives?!"

Halftail reluctantly lifted his head and sighed when he saw Brook standing in front of him. He stretched out pitifully with his paws aching. "Sorry, Brook," he apologized as he shook his head to clear it. "I didn't see you there. Actually, I haven't seem much of anything."

Brook swiveled her ears as he hopped forward with her nose twitching a bit. She brushed her whiskers against his cheek to figure out where he was. She stretched out a paw and rested it on his shoulder to keep him from twitching and shaking. "Halftail, are you okay? You don't feel very well."

That was something that Halftail had never heard. He knew that Brook felt more than she ever did see or smell or taste. That was her best sense and she certainly put it to use. "Well, Birchfoot was doing some testing with me. I guess it kind of tired me out," he confessed as he leaned forward with his back arching as he yawned. 

Brook nodded in understanding. "I was just about to get some dinner. Would you like to join me," she offered as her blue eyes shone.

Halftail thought about refusing, but he knew that that would hurt Brook's feelings. He dipped his head to her. “Yes, that would be great, Brook!"

Brook purred as she turned her chin upward. She then flicked her tail and invited him forward. Halftail followed Brook and kept extremely close to her in case he fell. They made their way to the cafeteria where others were finishing eating. They had eaten earlier since it was late. Brook found her way to the line and picked up a tray and carried it with the force. Halftail did the same and the two made their way to a table. He sat down and nearly threw his tray across the table. It smelled awful and he was sure that it didn't taste much better.

“Eat up," murmured Brook as she picked up a fork and jabbed it at what Halftail thought was some sort of meat. He heard that it was Wampa, but it could be Rancor for all he knew. "It's all that we got."

Halftail wrinkled his nose in disgust, but he knew that Brook was right. This was the only food that he had so he might as well dig in. He ate quietly, yet Brook wasn't about to just let them eat without talking. "So, what did Birchfoot want to do with you," asked Brook.

Halftail wasn't really comfortable speaking about it. However, he wasn't about to be rude to Brook. "Birchfoot just wanted to see how I would do with some stimulants. He also took my blood, scanned my body numerous times, and even forced me into one of my fits."

Brook tilted her head a bit in confusion. "What sort of fit? I've heard that you have numerous medical conditions, but I don't know about fits?"

Halftail knew that that wasn't the true name, but he hated calling them anything different. He plastered his ears against his head and sighed heavily. "Well, I don't really know what happens. I'm awake for about half of it and then I lose consciousness. I just twitch and convulse. Birchfoot is concerned and your son is a gifted healer, so I decided that he could do any tests that he wanted with me."

Brook nodded as she finished her meal and swallowed some of her drink. It probably should have been water, but she wasn't sure. "Do you need anything? It could even just be someone to talk to. I know what it's like to be different and have something that you can't control," she breathed.

Halftail was grateful to Brook, but he didn't want to pull her into these problems. This was his own fault and she had her own problems. "Thank you, Brook. I'll keep that in mind, but for now I'm okay," he assured as he choked down the remainder of his food and struggled not to bring it back up. He was still nauseous from his earlier fit. 

Brook smiled as she dipped her head a bit. "Alright. Remember, I'm always here for you," she reminded.

Halftail bid farewell to her before he decided that he would turn in for the night. He had had a crazy day. First, they had the battle and then Birchfoot had decided to bring him through the wringer. He wanted nothing more than to get some sleep. He pushed himself into his and Kanan's room. Kanan was reading a book and he raised an eyebrow as he saw Halftail.

“How did it go," inquired Kanan.

Halftail sighed heavily as he leaped onto the bed beside Kanan with his ears plastered against his head. He had tried to push what Birchfoot had done to him out of his head. "It could have gone better, but I think it also could have gone worse. He'll test whatever he took from me and he said he should know if a few days."

Kanan nodded as he se the book aside. "And until then?"

Halftail wasn't sure why Kanan was asking him that. He would keep doing what he always did. He didn't need anyone to hold his paw. "What do you mean? I'm just going to continue on just like I always have done," he reported with a firm nod of his head. 

Kanan decided to drop it. Arguing with Halftail wasn't going to make him listen to him. "I take it you're probably tired," he offered.

Halftail nodded as he strode to the end of the bed. He lowered down and curled into a ball with his tail tail curling part of the way around him. He was too tried to do anymore talking, but Kanan wasn't about to let him go that easily. "Yeah, I guess I am," he yawned with his eyes slightly closed.

Kanan laid back on the bed and used the force to shut off the light. However, he kept the small reading light on so that he could finish his book. "You know, you can talk to me if you like."

A growl rolled in Halftail's throat. Why did everyone think that he needed to talk? If he needed to talk he would come to them, but if not then they should just leave him be. No one ever said anything to him before, yet now everyone seemed interested in speaking to him. "Alright, I will come to you if I need it," he meowed through almost gritted teeth. He was still in pain from his earlier fit and he didn't know why. The pain didn't usually last that long or be that intense. 

Kanan seemed to sense that Halftail was tired and he knew that keeping him up wasn't helping either. He grasped his book and picked up where he was reading. He saw Halftail was already half asleep and he couldn't help but laugh. "Good night, Halftail."

Halftail was about to say the same to Kanan, but before he could, he drifted off into a delicate slumber.


	84. Medical Center

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> When the Ghost crew infiltrate a medical station, not all of them may get out of there alive.

A few days later, Halftail was laying on in the Ghost with his head rested on his paws. He was trying to get some sleep and be alone to clear his head. However, any dreams of that was short lived.

“You're going to have to run faster than that to outrun me," boasted Keen as he charged forward and wagged his tail excitedly.

Swifttail followed after him and hissed as he surged forward and reached out his paws in Keen's direction. Keen sidestepped but Swifttail kept coming. He landed on his father's body harshly and Halftail hissed as he darted to his paws. He thrust his son away with his ears plastering against his head. 

“S-Sorry," stammered Swifttail as he gazed at his father with apologetic eyes.

Halftail sighed before he snapped at his son. Couldn't he find anywhere on a giant spaceship to be alone? "What in StarBound’s name do you think that you're doing," he sighed as he raised a paw and clawed a bit at his ear. 

Swifttail twitched his tail before Keen darted forward and beamed at Halftial. "We're just practicing some Jedi animal battle moves," he boasted as his tail wagged.

Halftail rolled his eyes before Bluefeather and Molis strode in with their tails intertwined. Adlerleaf followed them with Birchfoot right beside. His head was bowed toward his sister and he was whispering with eyes flickering.

Rex, Kanan, Zeb, Ezra, Sabine, Chopper, and Hera traveled in after them. They were all talking and jabbing at one another. Halftail realized that there was no way that he was going to get any privacy or rest any longer. Instead, he rose to his paws and blinked his eyes at Keen. He thought that maybe he would do some Jedi training with the young pup.

“Come here, Keen," he urged as he flicked his tail tip. 

Keen bounded over to his mentor and sat beside him with his eyes blinking excitedly. Halftail lowered his head so that his muzzle nearly touched Keen's ear. "Alright, I'd like you to use the force to find my medicine bag. I've hidden it somewhere in the Ghost and I'd like you to find it."

Keen brightened as he puffed out his chest in pride. "No problem, Halftail! I'll find it," he cheered as he darted forward and Halftail could tell that Keen was using the force by the way that he was focusing. Keen usually never had that much focus. 

Halftail thought that he had some time since he had tucked it under the control panel so that no snoopy rebels found it. He hunkered back down a bit and yawned with his eyes blinking slightly.

He faintly heard Hera telling Sabine, Adlerleaf, Zeb, Molis, and Chopper about a medical base that they could use to replenish their supplies. He was silently thankful that Hera hadn't picked him to go. He wanted nothing more than to rest.

“You have no discipline," snapped Rex before Kanan tried to defend himself.

Halftail hissed as he lifted his paw and pressed them against his ears as he tried to shut them out. He was starting to give up on the idea that he would ever get some sleep.

Halftail then listened as Birchfoot hopped forward, dragging his hind leg a bit. He lowered down and looked into Halftail's closed eyes. Halftail blinked open his eyes and Birchfoot leaped back in shock. "Er, sorry, you scared me. Could I speak to you, Halftail, in private?"

Halftail knew immediately what this was about. He rose to his paws and grunted as he nodded slightly. Birchfoot led him toward his room and Halftail, once again, passed Bine's picture hanging on the wall. He would have wanted nothing more than for her to be beside him when he had to speak with Birchfoot. When someone asked to speak with you in private it was rarely a good thing. 

Birchfoot opened the door and Halftail pushed his way through. He sat on a small bed made from torn clothes and blankets. Birchfoot sat across from him and blinked his eyes a bit at Halftail. "I've gone over everything that you’ve allowed me to do a few days ago. It took a while, but I did."

Halftail just wished that he would get on with it. However, he didn't rush his healer as he dipped his head respectfully. "Okay, what did you find out?" 

Birchfoot hung his head a bit and sighed. "I was right; your fits are getting much worse. I'm going to need to up your medication and prescribe some new kinds for this. It will have to be done intravenously."

Halftail didn't like the sound of that. Injections in his vein was bad enough without having to lay still while it dripped into his system. He lowered his head and shivered. "It's not going to have to be all the time, is it?"

Birchfoot shook his head. He wasn't that cruel. "No, just at night. In morning you have have your injections and for emergencies, but other than that you should be okay. I just don't want it to get any worse. These fits are way worse than they used to be."

“And why do you say that," Halftail snapped as his hackles rose in rage.

Birchfoot was a bit taken aback by Halftail sudden anger. He drew back slightly and dipped his head. "I realized that during your fits half way through your body reacts to the fit itself, making it worse. Halftail, you need to be careful when you know that it's happening," he told him.

Halftail growled under his breath as he rose to his paws and left the room, leaving a stunned Birchfoot in his wake. He had no desire to speak anymore to Birchfoot. He was in bad shape; he knew that. He just didn't like anyone to tell him that. He passed Bine's picture and grief made his throat close. This would be a lot easier with a mate at his side to comfort him.

He bounded toward the living area and saw that Kanan and Rex were still arguing. He expected to see Keen running with his medical bag, but he was nowhere to be found. Halftail couldn't even scent him. "Bluefeather," he barked as he turned his head as the blue she-wolf strode toward him. "Have you seen Keen?"

Bluefeather lowered a paw and curled it around her ear, shaking her head. "No, sorry," she barked before worry surged through him. "Don't you know where he is?"

Halftail gulped as he surged forward with his shoulders tensing. He scented the air again, but he couldn't detect him anywhere. “Keen. Keen!"

“Are you looking for Keen," inquired Swifttail as he took a step forward and twitched his whiskers.

Halftail rolled his eyes as he looked at his son. Why would he be calling for Keen if he wasn't looking for him? "No, I'm just calling for him for no reason. Yes, I'm looking for Keen! Do you know where he is?"

Swifttail looked down bashfully, nodding hesitantly. It was like he walking on thorns when he spoke to his father. "Er, yeah. He boarded the Phantom with Sabine, Adlerleaf, Zeb, Molis, Chopper, and Ezra."

Halftail's fur stood up on his head and he thrust a paw against his face. He growled angrily at himself for not watching the impulse wolf better. “Ezra too? Why can't anyone listen to me," groaned Halftail as he stalked forward with his tail dragging a bit. 

Swifttail shrugged as he bounced after Halftail. "Dad, they already left. What are you doing?"

“I'm making sure that Kanan knows where our Padawans went so he doesn't work himself into a fit like me," he spat as he pulled away from his son. He loved Swifttail, but right now he just wanted to be alone. He slinked toward Kanan, who was still trying to beat Rex at their game.

He cleared his throat, pulling Kanan’s attention. "Do you need something?"

Halftail nodded, paws shuffling. He didn't want to get Ezra into trouble, but Kanan was going to figure it out soon enough. "Ezra and Keen decided to take a trip with the rest of the Phantom group."

Kanan stifled a groan. “Okay, thanks for telling me."

He was calm on the outside, but Halftail could tell that Kanan was furious. He drew away from the group and realized that maybe he could finally get some peace and quiet. He stalked forward with his ears plastered against his head. He bounded through the ship and stopped at the picture of Bine. He settled under it so that he could have his mate shinning down over him once more. He breathed heavily, finally drifting off into a fitful sleep.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Keen stood with his shoulders pushed backwards and his ears twitching. Adlerleaf sat beside him with her eyes glowing. "You're going to get in so much trouble," she pointed out as she looked at Keen. 

Keen shrugged. “I don't mind, Adlerleaf. I think that I can prove myself here."

Adlerleaf didn't press it anymore. She bounded over to Molis and looked over to him. "Do you know which base this is?"

Molis swiveled his head around before he gazed out into space. His eyes turned dark before he shook his head. "No, I don't, but something is making my fur stand up on my spine," he confessed as he turned his head to see that his fur was spiking madly.

Adlerleaf gulped as they docked inside the medical station. It was dark and cold inside and Adlerleaf hadn't even left the Phantom yet. She breathed heavily as she took a step forward with her fur bristling. Keen jumped out beside her and pressed against her in fear. Adlerleaf was about to growl at him to lay off, but she knew that he was just afraid. Perhaps together they could be brave.

Molis strode forward and his tail lashed behind him. He was nervous in his own way. Sabine and Ezra took the lead and Molis was happy to give it up. It was pitch black and he could barely see his nose in front of his face. Adlerleaf and Keen seemed to be able to see better and he followed them without any hesitation. Chopper was beeping madly and Molis growled at him for to shut up. 

Zeb then clambered onto the door to open it. Molis leaped through and landed beside Adlerleaf and Keen. Adlerleaf then hissed and turned on Keen in rage. "Get your paw of my tail on my tail!"

“Sorry," apologized Keen as he shook himself away from Adlerleaf so that he didn't romp on anything else. "It's kind of hard to see."

Molis nodded in agreement as he reluctantly trekked forward. They made their way into a room and he sniffed the air. "This place is starting to give me the creeps," he muttered as he shivered against the cold and musky feeling around him. 

Keen nodded in agreement as he took a step and pressed a bit against Molis. Molis looked down at him, but didn't push him. He knew that Keen was showing his terror by going between him and Adlerleaf.

Chopper then rolled to the panel and turned on the lights in the whole medical station. Keen let out a breath of relief and peeled away from Molis. It was a lot easier to be brave when you could see what was in front of you. "That's a lot better," he puffed as he stalked forward with his shoulders braced backwards.

Adlerleaf strode toward the entrance of the door, scented the air. "Let's find some medical supplies so that we can get out of here," she muttered with her fur spiking a bit along her spine.

Keen followed Alderleaf quickly and nearly pushed his head against her haunch. They surged forward and Molis hung back. He sniffed the air, but Adlerleaf was right, it was nearly impossible to scent anything. He grumbled a bit under his breath with his shoulders bracing and ears shoved forward.

The animals took one way and everyone else took the other way. Adlerleaf led and no one else apposed her. It wasn't like Keen or Molis particularly wanted to lead. It wasn't dark anymore, but it was still creepy for them. It didn't seem to bother Adlerleaf so much. She was still hesitant as she stalked forward with her paws gingerly brushing the ground with each prowl. She stiffened once Keen started to speak.

“Do you think that we will find medication for Halftail," he inquired.

Adlerleaf turned her head and exchanged a glance with Molis. Both didn't want to answer Keen since they didn't want to worry him. Molis knew that Birchfoot had done some testing on him to see why his so called fits kept getting worse. No one really knew but it might have just been because Birchfoot didn't want to tell them. Molis couldn't blame him and he was sure that Halftail didn't want to tell them either. He hated showing weakness.

Eventually, Adlerleaf turned to look at Keen. Keen blinked his eyes up at her and Adlerleaf knew that she couldn't ignore him. "I don't know," she murmured as she blinked her own eyes. "I think that they might have some supplies that Halftail can use. I guess that we'll only know by us finding some herbs."

Keen brightened and Adlerleaf was glad that he didn't focus on what might be wrong with Halftail. They were all nervous for Halftail's sake. 

They continued on in silence before Molis suddenly stopped with his ears flicking. "Does anyone else hear that," he breathed as he looked slightly behind him at the numerous hallways all around him.

Adlerleaf stopped and stretched out herself to halt Keen as well. "No, what do you hear," inquired Adlerleaf as her own eyes flickered in fear.

Molis didn't want to startle any of them. but he couldn't shake off what he was sure that he heard. "I thought that I just heard someone following us. However, it was probably nothing," he muttered as he shook his shoulders as he brushed his head against his shoulders. 

Keen gulped as he hunkered beside Adlerleaf once more, whimpering slightly. Adlerleaf glared angrily at Molis and Molis feared that he may have startled Keen unnecessarily He sighed as he clambered forward and hoped that he was truly wrong. 

However, Adlerleaf stopped soon with her eyes turning downcast. "I think that I just heard someone too," she murmured as she turned around and began to stalk the other direction.

“What are you doing, Adlerleaf," gasped Molis with round eyes.

Adlerleaf turned her head and lashed her tail. "Just stay with Keen. I'll be right back after I catch that pesky mouse or whatever is following us," she grumbled as she continued forward with her claws streaking against the ground. 

Keen was about to dart after him, but Molis leaned forward and sunk his teeth into one of Keen's wings and pulled him backwards. Keen whimpered and he turned to look at Molis in shock. "Let Adlerleaf do this. You, walk with me," he ordered as he stalked forward with his paws skimming against the ground. 

Keen reluctantly followed and Molis knew that he didn't want to leave Adlerleaf alone. Yet he was sure that she could take care of herself. Keen surged forward and Molis trekked after him, hoping that everything would be alright.

Adlerleaf strode forward and tilted her nose upward. She scented something that seemed to carry with it a dark scent, if that's possible. She wasn't afraid; she had been through much worse with her brother when they were living on the streets. A little spooky form of a medical station wasn't about to scare her out of her fur, unlike Keen and Molis. Those canines could be so overdramatic. 

She turned into a room where the scent seemed to fill everywhere. She looked around, only seeing pitch blackness. She could see her whiskers, that was about it. She turned to a destroyed computer when she heard something like glass breaking behind her. She darted around and her neck coiled into her shoulders in case she would have to lunge.

“Someone is jumpy."

Adlerleaf leaned a bit and narrowed her eyes and struggled to see who had spoke. She managed to catch a flash of bright white and silver fur. Black amor covered the rest of the body of what appeared to be a snow leopard. The leopard's eyes were silver as well and they shone in the darkness. 

“W-Who are you," stammered Adlerleaf as the fear made her voice shake in terror.

The cat raised a paw and pointed at it's chest, laughing and purring at the same time. "You can call me Myris. However, you probably can't call me anything if you're dead."

Panic showed in Adlerleaf's eyes and her heart skipped a beat. Myris then lunged forward and sunk her teeth into Adlerleaf's head, just below the ear. Adlerleaf wailed in pain before she kicked one of her hind legs against Myris's front paws and thrust her downward. She pulled Myris's fangs from her head and she surged toward the entrance of the room, trying to get away.

Myris shook her head and she reached out a paw with long claws and sunk it into Adlerleaf's tail. She pulled her backwards and Adlerleaf fell harshly. She whimpered with eyes flickering upward. Myris stood over her and thrust a paw against Adlerleaf's neck. Adlerleaf tried to push her paws against Myris's neck or face, but Myris was highly skilled. She pressed her paw firmly on Adlerleaf's neck, and for Adlerleaf, the whole world went black.


	85. Plans, or Something Like That

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Keen has to do everything that he can to plan an escape for him and Adlerleaf before it’s too late.

Molis's head darted upward sharply as he heard a scream. Adlerleaf's scream. He was about to trek toward Adlerleaf's direction but before he could, Keen surged in the opposite direction. "Keen," called Molis as Keen continued to race in the opposite direction. “Keen!”

He swore under his breath as he traveled back after Keen. He bounded down the hallway and his eyes widened as he saw Ezra, Sabine, and Zeb all facing what appeared to be two new Inquisitors. He gasped in alarm, but to his surprise, Keen showed no fear. He spread his powerful, large wings and used his tail to curl around his lightsaber. 

“Are you crazy," spat Molis as the fur along his spine stood on end. 

Keen spun on Molis and Molis couldn't believe the amount of maturity he saw shinning Keen's eyes. "I can't just let them die," he gasped as he surged forward and flew into the air. He landed into one of the Inquisitors so that they couldn't slice their own lightsabers in Ezra's direction. Ezra seemed as surprised as anyone to see Keen while Keen seemed to be taking on a new confidence. 

One of the Inquisitor's—a female—lunged for Keen. Keen lifted his lightsaber and the two collided, making Keen's tail quake a bit with the effort to keep his lightsaber in front of his face. He then managed to push forward and the Inquisitor fell backwards. "Run," he called as he lowered his head into his shoulders and his wings thrust above her head.

The group turned and ran with Keen bringing up the rear, making sure that everyone was safe. He surged forward with his paws tucking against his chest as he bolted. 

Suddenly, something slammed into him, knocking him sideways. His lightsaber deactivated, and when he looked upward, he saw a silver furred snow leopard with armor over most of her body. Her silver eyes shone in evil as she breathed heavily on his muzzle. He wrinkled his nose in disgust. "Who are you," he murmured as he tried desperately not to allow his voice to shake.

The she-cat's eyes glowed as she purred, her breath still stinking. "I'm Myris. You're friends with a pretty young she-cat, aren't you," she murmured into Keen's ear.

Keen tensed at the mention of Adlerleaf. "What have you done to her," he roared as he tried to pull away from Myris. However, Myris just dug her claws deeper into Keen's body and Keen stiffened in agony.

She leaned even more forward until her nose grazed Keen's erect ear. She sniffed deeply, uncomfortableness spreading through Keen. "I haven't done anything yet," she breathed before she drew back and stared into Keen's hard eyes. "But, I think that she'd want to see you."

Keen pulled so hard on his shoulders that her claws ripped even deeper and he swore that they grazed tough bone. He groaned with his teeth clenched and head tilting backwards. “If you so much as hurt a hair on her pelt I'll—“

“You'll what," taunted Myris as she rolled her eyes. "You're not exactly in any position to threaten me. You're just a pup, in no match of actually being a Padawan."

Keen opened his mouth to say something, but Myris thrust a paw against his muzzle to hold it shut. "Don't try to argue it. Just shut your muzzle before I shut it for you."

Keen tore away from her with his eyes narrowed to such slits that Myris had to take him seriously. "I will never take orders from a cat like you," he spat in her face with his tail lashing. 

Myris stood upright before he thrust her hind paw against the side of his head. The whole world for Keen went black.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Keen groaned when he awoke. At first, he thought that he saw his parents standing across from him, but when he turned his head, they were gone. He craned his head even more, and when he did so, he saw Adlerleaf laying beside him. Her head was hung, but her front paws were bound together in front of her. Keen had no idea if she was sleeping or not, but he was sure that she had been knocked out like he had been.

“Adlerleaf? Adlerleaf, can you hear me," whispered Keen as he leaned forward, trying to ignore the chains that had been tied on all four of his paws and even part of his wings. 

Adlerleaf moaned as she blinked her eyes. She quickly closed them and made a strange burping sound. "I think that I'm going to be sick," she announced.

“Please, don't be. If you do I'm not going to clean up after you so you'll be stuck in it," purred Myris as she stalked forward with her tail lashing behind her. She drew closer to both of them and her claws dragged in the ground, slicing them against the ground.

Keen plastered his ears against his head, but that was enough to send Adlerleaf over the end. Her head turned and a greenish tinge showed on her face. She turned as much as she could before she brought up everything in her stomach. She gagged in the aftermath and the scent of the vomit almost made Keen want to throw up as well. She curled back to Myris and Keen with vomit clinging to the edge of her mouth.

Myris turned away from Adlerleaf and looked back to Keen with disgust glinting in her eyes. Keen had no idea why Myris was so interested in him, but he wished that she wasn't. "Why are you doing this," asked Keen as he saw the pained look on Adlerleaf's face. She looked terrible, worse than ever before. Birchfoot could help her, but Birchfoot wasn't there. Keen would have to do anything he could to to get her out of there, and quick.

Myris tapped her claws against the ground impatiently. "Don't act like you don't know. You hunt us down. We hunt you down," she pointed with a shrug.

Surprise sparked through Keen as he shook his head madly, so much so that he made himself dizzy. "We don't hunt you down," he argued indulgently. "You come after us and we just fight back!”

Myris hissed as she thrust her muzzle an inch away from Keen’s. Keen leaned backwards and plastered his ears against his head. Why was she continuing on getting so close to him? "Then I think we should turn the tables. You call your friends and then we'll have the hunter and prey relationship," she suggested as she twitched her ears hopefully.

Keen set his jaw squarely. "And why in Lupus’s name would we do that?" He knew that if he had said anything like that Bluefeather would have socked him across the muzzle. He was just glad that Bluefeather wasn't there to witness him using such obscure language. 

Myris threw her head sideways and pointed to Adlerleaf. Her head was bowed once more and saliva dripped from her partially opened muzzle. It looked like she had gotten sick once more. "Because if you don't, she will only get sicker and sicker. Poison has that effect," she chuckled as she turned with her back to Keen.

There was suddenly a blinking light coming from Myris's belt. She picked up the communicator and strode from the room. Keen took that opportunity to speak to the very ill Adlerleaf. "Adlerleaf, what am I going to do? I can't expose the fleet, but I can't just leave you here either," he whimpered as his eyes darted from Adlerleaf to his paws.

Adlerleaf blinked her eyes and discharge dripped from them. "Don't call the fleet. I'll be fine," she croaked as she lashed her tail slightly.

Keen shook his head madly. He understood that Adlerleaf was selfless, but what about her brother and her mate? Surely she didn't want to die before she saw them. "I can't let that happen, Adlerleaf. I'll think of something, I know," he assured her, although he had no plan. He had tried to listen to Halftail about plans and thinking on his paws, but he had never mentioned a dying teammate.

Adlerleaf groaned as she leaned backwards against the ground, her eyes slightly rolling back in her hand. Her breath came in short spurts and he knew that she wasn't going to be able to last that long without help. He made up his mind; he was going to need to contact Halftail, Bluefeather, or someone, anyone that could help. Someone meaning Molis!

It wasn't long before Myris came back in and glared at Keen harshly. Keen shrunk under her gaze and blinked a few times to dislodge some tears. "Have you made up your mind?"

Keen nodded as he turned his muzzle up at Myris. "I'll contact them, but know that I'm extremely against this," he muttered in anger.

Myris shrugged. “Whatever you have to say to justify yourself.” 

“Could I use your communicator? I forgot mine," he lied as he shrugged his shoulders a bit just like she had done.

Myris rolled her eyes as she thrust her muzzle in his direction as she reached her paw into her belt and brought out her communicator. She passed it to Keen and Keen was pleased that Molis and Ezra had taught him some things about technology. He knew that if he could connect her communicator with his in his belt so that he he could replay a message and make it seem like the fleet was coming, even though it wasn't. He really liked this plan and he knew that he would have to share it with Halftail. It just might make up for the fact that he had run off with the group when he wasn't supposed to. 

He hacked into his own communicator deep within his fur so that Myris couldn’t see. He quickly brought up a message from a while ago. Immediately, Halftail's voice filled Keen's ears. He had never been so happy to hear a recorded message from his mentor. "What trouble have you managed this time? Fine, I'm on my way." The communication ended quickly. Keen struggled not to show his apprehension. This plan had to work or both he and Adlerleaf would be dead. 

Myris seemed pleased with this. She then leaned forward and unhooked the chains. "I will take you to the hanger and then we will get the showdown that we deserve," she hissed as her fur spiked.

Keen struggled not to roll his eyes as Myris undid the rest of his paws. However, she kept his wings covered in chains so that he couldn't fly away. She then turned to Adlerleaf and undid her chains on all paws. She didn't even worry about Adlerleaf trying to escape because she was so weak. Keen darted forward and took the weight of Adlerleaf on himself so that she didn't fall. Adlerleaf turned her head upward and blinked her eyes in horror. “What have you done, Keen?"

“Hush," chided Keen in Adlerleaf's ear, but to everyone else, it just looked like he had licked her ear. "I have a plan but you're going to have to trust me."

Adlerleaf looked reluctant, but she didn't have enough strength to argue. Keen held her up as they hopped into the hanger. He turned his head and saw Ezra, Sabine, and Chopper across from them. 

Keen twitched his ears as Adlerleaf stopped and tried to vomit. However, there was nothing left in her stomach so she could only bring up bile. She then started to dry heave before she hung back and fell sideways. Her eyes stretched wide in agony and Sabine couldn't help but rush to her side. "Adlerleaf," Sabine gashed as he rested a hand on the back of Adlerleaf's spine.

Adlerleaf threw her head sideways and moaned. Her lips had turned almost blue and her eyes were so milky that you could barely see Adlerleaf's eye in there. Keen suddenly heard the roar of a ship as the Phantom landed a few paces from them. It shot at the Inquisitors in front of them. Keen sunk his teeth into Adlerleaf's scruff, but she was too heavy. Sabine hunkered down and took Adlerleaf gently in her arms. They darted forward and jumped into the back of the Phantom. 

Keen jumped into the back and whimpered when his front legs connected while his haunches didn't. Ezra kneeled down and picked up Keen around the shoulders and pulled him in. The rest of the group followed and Keen sighed in relief when he saw Molis. "Molis! I've never been this excited to see you," he exclaimed as he darted over to Molis and shoved his nose into his thick neck fur.

Molis rumbled before he turned to look at Adlerleaf. He padded forward and blinked his eyes at the barely conscious she-cat. “What's wrong with her?"

“She was poisoned," answered Keen as a growl rolled deeply within his throat, but it sounded like almost like a squeak. "She needs Birchfoot or she'll die!"

Molis's eyes stretched wide in terror. “No!”

Keen was staring at Adlerleaf with terror in his eyes to match Molis’s. Molis decided to change his focus and he bumped his head against Keen's haunch and led him to a case. "Look what I found." He popped open the case and numerous syringes filled with golden fluid shone in the light. There was also more liquid in small vials. 

Keen rumbled in delight as he saw the liquid. This would certainly help Halftail, he hoped. "Great job, Molis," he praised as if he was senior Jedi.

Molis didn't mind. He was just glad that he had managed to find it. He was sure that Halftail would be able to use it and he knew that Halftail was going through more medication than ever. It wouldn't last him very long, but it was better than nothing.

It wasn't long before they arrived back with the fleet. Sabine picked up Adlerleaf and her head fell backwards and her body went limp. Her eyes flickered and she groaned in agony. She darted forward with Keen following, fear pulsing through his whole body. 

Birchfoot could help her. 

Birchfoot had to help her!

Keen padded into the Ghost and a growl rolled in Halftail's throat. He lunged forward and cuffed Keen's ear, making him fall over. "What were you thinking, going with them?! Do you have any idea how worried I was," he screeched as he towered over Keen, the pup’s wings tucked around his body.

Keen shook his head as he rose to his paws, growling slightly. "I just wanted to help and we shouldn't be focusing on me! We should be focusing on Adlerleaf!”

“Adlerleaf?” Halftail's whiskers twitched as Swifttail surged forward, his paws barely even touching the ground. His eyes widened in terror at the mention of his mate. "What about Adlerleaf?"

Keen opened his mouth to speak, but before he could, Sabine charged forward. She looked down with Adlerleaf struggling to breathe in her arms. Halftail puffed out his fur and strode forward with his shoulders bunching as he ran. "Follow me. Birchfoot should know what to do," he murmured as he stalked forward.

They strode through the hallway and stopped at Birchfoot's room. Halftail opened it with the force and he saw Birchfoot organizing some medication that he had been given by the fleet. It certainly didn't look like the small herb store that he had had before. Birchfoot turned and smiled before he caught sight of his lame sister. "What's going on?"

Sabine set her down and Adlerleaf shook madly in terror and shock. "She was poisoned," whimpered Keen as his eyes flicked back and forth.

Fear crept into Birchfoot's eyes, but he wasn't about to let it stop him from helping his sister. He wove around her, but made sure not to suffocate her. He opened her mouth and checked her eyes. He then surged over toward his stores and took a few vials. "This is the result of yew berries. It's not something that I have seen regularly, but she should be out of the woods as soon as I get her hydrated and get everything out of her."

“She's thrown up a lot," informed Keen as he leaned forward to try and stare into Adlerleaf's eyes.

Birchfoot nodded absentmindedly as he took a few needles and injected them into the vial to withdraw some clear liquid. There was a sudden wail at the door and Halftail turned with his fur bristling slightly. He sighed heavily as he shook his head. "I'll deal with him," offered Halftail as he took a tentative step forward. "Just stay with Adlerleaf and keep me posted. I'll take Swifttail back to the cockpit."

Keen nodded slowly before Halftail pushed his way from the door. Swifttail slammed into him and pushed Halftail backwards. "Let me see her! Let me see her!"

Halftail sighed heavily as he sunk his teeth into his son's scruff. He pulled Swifttail away from the door and took in his son's fearful scent. He threw him sideways, hissing threateningly. "This isn't helping Adlerleaf," he snarled with his teeth clicking. "You can't go rushing in there screeching and yowling."

Swifttail hung his head and his whiskers brushed against the ground with his neck stretching out. "I can't take this, Dad. I'm so worried."

Halftail knew that he would act the exact same way if Bine had been poisoned. However, he had a little more control than Swifttail since he was older. He knew that being harsh with Swifttail wasn't the way to go. Instead, he leaned forward and touched his nose to his son's ear. "I know, but she should be alright. Don't make this worse on her."

Swifttail blinked his eyes and tears slid from them. "Then what should I do?"

Halftail pressed against him slightly and kinked his tail over his back as he walked. "Take care of yourself. You won't help Adlerleaf any if you're ill yourself."

“I guess," he mumbled into his chest fur as he streaked forward and away from his father. He surged down the hallway and turned into his room. Halftail was tempted to follow him, but he knew that he would just push his son away. There was nothing more than he could do for Swifttail.

He then turned and strode back to where Kanan was. Kanan sat and had actually abandoned his game with Rex. When Halftail marched over, Kanan kneeled down and strode him between the ears. "What are we going to do with all of them, Halftail," he sighed heavily.

Halftail shrugged his pained shoulders as he rested his head on his soft paws. "I have no idea. I thought about sticking my head in a trash reciprocal, but I don't think that that will help," he joked a bit as he tried to lighten the heavy mood.

Kanan didn't seem to believe him. He just shook his head as he finally stood, slightly off balance. "Will Adlerleaf be alright?"

Halftail lifted his head as his eyes met Kanan's. "She will be fine, but these Inquisitor's are going to end up killing us, one way or another."

Kanan looked around, and once he was sure no one was around, he sat on the ground across from Halftail. Halftail knew that this must be serious but he decided not to argue with Kanan. "It's not the only thing that might kill us."

Halftail sucked in a deep breath as he faced Kanan with blazing eyes. He knew that Birchfoot had probably said something to him since Halftail wasn't about to tell him anytime soon. He also knew that he could deal with this himself. The only way that he would tell anyone was if that anyone was Bine. He would have told his mate since she would have helped but not smothered. He just wished that she was there instead of Kanan to talk to. "What are you saying?"

Kanan bowed his head and tried to look into Halftail's eyes. However, Halftail looked away since he couldn't bear to look into his lying eyes. "Birchfoot reached out to me since he was sure that you wouldn't say anything to me. He told me how your condition is advancing."

Rage exploded in Halftail as he whirled to face Kanan with ears plastered against his head. "So, are you here to tell me that I shouldn't be a Jedi anymore, or that I shouldn't fight? Do you think I'm useless," he retorted as he lashed his broken tail tip.

Kanan shook his head madly. He knew that whatever he said, Halftail would be defensive. He knew that he couldn't stop or Halftail wouldn't open up to anymore. "No, no, of course not! Do you really think that I would be speaking to you if I thought that? I just know that it's getting worse and if you need anything, I’m here."

“I'm fine," snapped Halftail sternly as he gave a firm nod of his head. "So what if I'm getting worse? It's nothing that I can't handle."

Kanan wasn't sure about that, but he knew that this was probably the best that he was going to get out of him. "Okay, if you say so. Just tell me if you ever need anything."

Halftail gave a crooked nod, quickly realizing how tired he was. He bounded toward his and Kanan's room and jumped onto the bed. He yawned as he tucked his muzzle under his paws and drifted off into a deep sleep.


	86. Remembering The Day

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> This day is the hardest for Halftail to face and he’s not sure how he’ll make it through.

Halftail leaned forward with his paw shaking wild. He thrust the tip of his syringe into his vein and he nearly cried out. The fire plunged through him, and once he was finished, he threw it sideways. He slumped against Birchfoot's nest and panted so madly that he was sure that he was going to stop breathing. 

“Halftail, are you in here?" 

Halftail wanted to say something but his jaw set and he fell forward. He began to twitch and his eyes flickered. "Halftail," wailed Birchfoot as he surged forward and rested a paw against Halftail's neck to check his pulse. It was very rapid. Birchfoot sighed heavily. He managed to calm Halftail down a bit as he closed his eyes. "Halftail, can you hear me?"

Halftail shook his head a bit as he came to. He lifted his head and tried to sit up, but Birchfoot pushed him back down. "Halftail, don't try to move!"

“I'm fine," hissed Halftail as he stared into Birchfoot's eyes slightly.

Birchfoot rested a paw against his forehead, but Halftail drew back at the touch. "Halftail, have you been taking your medicine," he inquired with a frown. 

Halftail nodded, although he had forgotten his double doses sometimes. He hadn't mean to. There was a lot to do and not enough time in the day to do it. "Most of the time I do. Only sometimes do I forget," he rasped as his muscles throbbed and burned from his fit. 

Birchfoot let out an exasperated sigh through his nose. "Halftail, what did I say? You can't just do this to yourself. I think that you need an accountability partner; one to make sure that you don't forget your medication or do anything fish-brained," he hissed with his nose wrinkled.

Halftail ducked backwards with his head drown back into his shoulders. He didn't need an accountability partner! He needed everyone to just leave him alone. He knew what he needed to do. He just forgot sometimes. "I don't need a partner or whatever," he spat on the ground, a few paces from his syringe that he had thrown aside before his latest fit.

“I think that you do," argued Birchfoot as he touched his nose to Halftail's ear. "I'll let you pick one if you’d like. If you don't, I'll do it for you.”

Tears burned in Halftail's eyes as he thrust out a paw and shattered the syringe. Glass flew and a few pieces stuck into his foreleg. "I don't want anyone that you can get me," he huffed as his lips peeled back to reveal yellow and sharp teeth.

Birchfoot had no idea why Halftail was acting this way. Sometimes he was delirious when he came out of his fits. but this was way different entirely. He drew closer to Halftail with Halftail snarling him away. "Stay away from me!"

Birchfoot took a step backwards and lifted his tail intently. He dipped his head to him and sighed heavily. "Okay, alright," breathed Birchfoot as he searched Halftail's gaze. "Can you tell me why I can't come near you?" Halftail didn't say anything so Birchfoot decided that he would keep speaking. "Okay, what can I do to help you?"

Halftail whirled his head finally to face Birchfoot. Birchfoot shrunk under Halftail's gaze and he couldn't help but feel a shiver rush up his hind leg. "You can bring Bine back."

Birchfoot mentally kicked himself inside. How had he not realized? This was the anniversary of Bine's death. Today was the hardest day for Halftail since it was Swifttail's birthday as well. Birchfoot had no idea how Halftail was coping, but by the look of him, he really wasn't. "Halftail, you know that I can't do that," he sympathized gently.

Halftail seemed to almost roar as he hissed with his teeth clenching. He wasn't sure if it was in pain or grief. "I can't do this without her! I will not have a partner unless it is Bine," he reported harshly as he turned away with his claws extending. He brushed them against his muzzle until blood seemed to drip from it.

Birchfoot took a step forward and thrust Halftail's paws down so that he couldn't maul himself. He was just in a dark place and Birchfoot was going to have to get him through it. "I know that it's hard but you will get through this. You know that Swifttail needs you to be the best cat that you can be. You owe him that much.”

Halftail groaned as he stared into Birchfoot's eyes. He saw the understanding in Birchfoot's eyes and he realized that he wasn't acting right. He wasn't in his right mind, but that wasn't an excuse for his actions. "I want you to be my accountability partner, Birchfoot," he breathed after a moment of consideration.

Birchfoot couldn't be any more shocked. He drew back slightly with his whiskers twitching. He finally nodded and gulped slightly. "A-Alright," stammered Birchfoot as he touched his nose to Halftail's cheek. "If that's what you want. What do you need right now?"

Halftail tipped his head upward and sighed heavily as he thought about what Birchfoot was asking him. He turned his body and rolled back onto his paws. "I just need everyone to treat me normally," he croaked as he shot Birchfoot another harsh and unwavering glance. "And I don't want anyone to know about this, understand?"

Birchfoot gulped before he dipped his head slightly. "Er, sure, I understand. What about Swifttail?"

Halftail hung his head when he thought of his son. He was so like Bine in more ways than one. He was stubborn like his father, and Halftail wasn't exactly sure that that was a good thing. He gave his fur a stubborn shake as he lashed his tail. "Just treat Swifttail like every other day. I think that I'll take him out for his birthday for maybe a hunt. I'll have to see what he wants to do. He's just been temperamental lately like a she-cat." 

Birchfoot couldn't help but snort in amusement. "Couldn't agree more. He must be getting it from Adlerleaf. Ever since her run in with those yew berries she's been different." He lowered his head a bit and shook it gravely. "I'm afraid that this war is taking it out of all of us in more ways than one."

Halftail nodded in agreement. As enjoyable as this had been, Halftail didn't want to stay any longer and spill out his heart to Birchfoot. He trusted the three legged tom, but it was still difficult for him to speak to him like a friend. He just saw him too much like a healer. There was nothing wrong with that but it was hard to see a healer as a friend. 

He then veered sideways and he couldn't even bring himself to steal a glance at Bine's picture's direction. That was just too hard on this day. He strode into the living room and saw a few members of the crew laughing and telling stories. That just made Halftail's fur stand on end at their happiness and his gloom. He didn't want to ruin it, but before he could turn away, Horror let out a whoop of laughter. "Halftail, come and join us!"

Halftail stifled a sigh as he stalked forward with his head low and pain apparent on his face. He turned back to the disfigured tom and sat beside him. Horror proceeded to tell him, Molis, and Bluefeather a story about his days as Swift's companion, but Halftail just wasn't feeling in the mood to lift his spirits. They didn't deserve to be lifted on a day like this. "Halftail, what's wrong," asked Bluefeather as concern showed on her face and in her eyes.

Halftail's head lifted slightly and he had to bite his lip to keep from screeching at her to leave him alone and not press matters. Instead, he flicked his ears a bit. "I guess I'm just tired. It's been a bit of a long few days," he pointed out as he slumped down.

Bluefeather didn't press it, but before Horror could dive back into his story, Keen surged through the room. He barked excitedly and he jumped onto Halftail's spine. All of the muscles that he had strain was felt through Keen's paws. He snarled as he sat upright with his tail tip twitching in agony. "Get off," he snapped.

Keen sat back in terror. Halftail usually always wanted to play and now he had gotten in trouble for it. Halftail realized that maybe had been a little took harsh on the poor pup. He shook his head a bit and leaned forward to touch his nose to a shaking Keen’s ear. "I'm sorry. I'm just a little sore from training both you and Keen. I'm not getting any younger."

Keen dipped his head a bit but there was still fear apparent in his eyes. "That's okay. I was playing with Swifttail but he huffed and left," he muttered as he thrust a paw against the ground harshly.

Halftail tilted his head in surprise. He had no idea what what Keen was talking about. Swifttail was still aboard, he was sure of it. "Wait, where is Swifttail," he inquired as he looked down to Keen.

Keen shrugged a bit and anger shone in his eyes. "I said that I don't know. He got really mad at everything and said he didn't want to be a Jedi anymore and just got up and left," he explained shortly.

Halftail sighed heavily. They had just had this problem less than a moon before. He knew that Keen probably didn't know what was wrong, but if he wanted to find out, he would have to speak to Adlerleaf. Adlerleaf knew Swifttail the best since they were mates. He strode forward and marched forward with his fur spiking. "I'll figure this out. Just stay here and listen to Horror's story for me and fill me in."

Keen seemed relieved to have something productive to do. He settled beside his aunt as she ran her tongue against his coarse blueish fur. Horror continued on with the story and for once, Halftail was glad that he may be able to get out of it. Horror's stories could go on for moons.

Halftail waltzed forward and looked everywhere. "Swifttail. Swifttail?!"

A pretty tail caught his gaze and Halftail turned to see Adlerleaf padding forward with her tail kinked slightly over her back. She was still getting some fluids since her body hadn't flushed out all of the poison yet, but she was still as beautiful as before. Her humor was still intact as well. "Are you looking for Swifttail, Halftail," she inquired as she drew near.

Halftail thrust an angry paw against the ground. "No, I'm just calling his name for the fun of it," he growled sarcastically.

Adlerleaf didn't react to his grumpy disposition. Instead, she flicked her paw to his room. "I was looking for him as well, but he's not on the Ghost," she told him.

A strange feeling seemed to claw at Halftail's stomach. He swore under his breath as he stomped around slightly, growling and muttering as he tried to think of what had happened. Last moon it had been Keen and now it was his own son. He must be doing something seriously wrong for this to happen twice. "He went with Ezra, didn't he?"

Adlerleaf snorted in mock amusement. "I don't know! That's what I would guess but I have no idea. Why he would go with him I don't know but if he's not here."

Halftail sighed heavily as his eyes flickered downward. It wasn't like he could do anything about it, so he just shrugged. "Alright, I guess I'll have to speak with him when he gets back."

Adlerleaf's eyes turned downcast as he thrust his head to the side with his whiskers brushing against the ground slightly. "You know, I don't think that he's going to want to speak to you."

Halftail drew back slightly with his muzzle wrinkling. "And why do you think that that would be?" Swifttail and him weren't overly close, especially of late, but he would never refuse to speak to Halftail. At least, he didn't think that he would.

Adlerleaf set her jaw as she turned to pad away. Halftail couldn't just let her leave. He surged forward and blocked Adlerleaf's path. He wasn't about to allow her just to walk away and not tell him why Swifttail wouldn't want to speak with him. Adlerleaf rolled her eyes a bit and lashed her tail tip. "Fine. He came to me and he told me that he heard you speaking about him with Birchfoot. You said that he was stubborn and had your personality and how that was a bad thing."

Halftail hadn't even thought that Swifttail could have been listening in. He wasn't sure whether to be angry with himself for saying what he did or for Swifttail for listening in on him and Birchfoot. "That wasn't the only thing that I said. I said that he looked and acted like Bine as well, too. I guess he didn't hear that."

“No, he didn't," reported Adlerleaf as she pushed past Halftail and this time, Halftail didn't charge after her. "He just said that things were hard between you too and he wasn't sure why. I'm sure that he just needs to clear his head. He'll come back."

It was easy for Adlerleaf to say that; she was Swifttail's mate. He would never abandon her, but Halftail and him would never be incredibly close. They had been for a while and then Swifttail had grown older and things had changed, like having a mate. He had to admit he was fairly jealous, but that wasn't about to make a difference. 

He allowed Adlerleaf to go, but questions still haunted his mind. He had no idea what he would say to Swifttail, if he could even speak at him. He had had heart to hearts before with Swifttail, but this was a hard time for Swifttail too.

Halftail stalked back to the living area and saw everyone laughing and joking with each other. Not that that didn't make him happy, but he didn't want that right now. He needed to be alone on this bothersome day. He stalked out of the Phantom and into the hanger. He sucked in a crackling breath and it made his chest ache slightly. He muttered under his breath and slumped down a bit. 

He blinked his eyes and in front of him he saw the most beautiful she-cat that he'd ever seen. She drew forward with her paws skimming across the ground. They didn't make any pawsteps, but that didn't mean that she wasn't any less real. He took a step forward and looked at the beautiful she-cat standing in front of him. "Hello, my love," she breathed with her eyes glowing brilliantly. 

Halftail skidded forward and nearly slid into Bine. His paws felt so wobbly when he looked at her and he couldn't help but purr. "B-Bine," he stammered, whiskers twitching.

Bine laughed as she saw him. She leaned forward and pressed her forehead against his. Halftail purred as he pushed against her and he scented her starry scent. There was still a wild tinge to it, but not nearly as much as before. He just wished to feel that wildness once more with her but that wouldn't happen; it would never happen and he knew it. She was dead and this was the closest thing that he would get to her. He didn't even know if she was there or if it was just a figment of his imagination. 

Bine then drew back a bit and gazed into his eyes. "What troubles you? You don't look like yourself," confessed Bine as she tilted her head.

Halftail didn't want his mate to be able to tell that. He hung his head so that she couldn't look into his eyes. "I'm sick, Bine," he confessed. "I'm getting worse and I don't know why."

Bine tilted her head some more at the mention of her mate's health. She then took a step forward and pressed against Halftail. Halftail, for once, rested his head against Bine's shoulder and she held him up. "Oh, Halftail, I'm so sorry. I wish that I could be with you to help."

“Me too," agreed Halftail as he stretched out his tail and intertwined it with her. Her tail was soft and delicate while his was rough and was only half the length that it should have been. "I miss you so much, Bine, and I know that Swifttail does too. There's something wrong with him, I think."

Bine sighed heavily and shook her head slightly. "I think that you two just need to reach an understanding. Today is hard for both of you but that's not what I want you to be. I want you two to move on from me, Halftail."

Halftail's eyes widened just at the mention of that. "No!"

Bine shook her head. "You can't just want to be with me forever. I'm flattered, but you need to move on. Maybe find love again," she suggested.

Halftail's mouth gaped open and he squeezed his eyes and couldn't even bear to look at him. "I would never," gasped Halftail as he shook his head madly. "Have you found someone else? Is that why you're bringing it up?" 

Bine was clam when she shook her own head, her whiskers twitching as she did so. "Of course not. I only have eyes for you, Halftail. I just want you to be happy and ever since I died I know that you haven't been. If that's what it takes for you to be happy then that's what I want for you."

Halftil admitted that he had been down a few moons, but he knew that taking another mate wouldn't make him happy. It would just result in making him feel worse, he was sure of it. "I will be happy, one day, when I'm with you," he told her as he licked her cheek affectionately. "Until then, I can just wait."

Bine rolled her eyes, but she was secretly excited that Halftail hadn't chosen another mate. "Very well. You know, it would make me feel a lot better if you could speak to Swifttail. I don't like seeing the two most important toms in my life fighting," she meowed.

Halftail would do anything for Bine and this wouldn't be that hard for him to speak to Swifttail. "Alright, I'll see what I can do. I love you."

Bine kinked her tail over her back before she took a step forward and brushed her head against Halftail's chest. Halftail purred at feeling his mate next to him. "I love you too," murmured Bine as her ears twitched.

She then drew away from Halftail despite his protests. He wanted to draw closer to Bine but she had drawn away from him. She charged upward and disappeared. Halftail hung his head. "Don't leave," he practically begged.

“Who are you talking to," inquired a voice and Halftail turned to see his son trekking toward him. 

Halftail turned slightly and saw Swifttail with his whiskers twitching slightly. Halftail didn't want Swifttail to think that he was crazy, yet he didn't want to lie. "I...er....um was just talking to myself," he meowed as he took a tentative step forward with his tail tip twitching. "Is there a problem with that?"

Swifttail shook his head while surprise and shocked still glowed in his eyes. “Are you angry with me," murmured Swifttail slowly.

Halftail sighed heavily as he touched his nose to Swifttail's ear. Swifttail drew back at the sudden show of affection toward him. "No, I'm not angry but I do want to understand you better. Please, talk to me, Swifttail. We try having these talks, but it never works so we're going to have to try harder."

Swifttail twitched his ears as he bowed his head, his muzzle almost brushing the ground. A growl rolled in the back of his throat and when he lifted his head, his eyes burned. "You haven't been the same since mother's death and I'm not sure that you ever will be. You need to let her go."

“Let her go," gasped Halftail in terror. Was his own son turning against him and his mother? "How can you ever say that?! She was your mother."

Swifttail blinked his eyes rapidly as he thought about what to say. "I know but she's dead. I've accepted that but you walk around like she's just lost. I never even knew her and I wish I did but I didn't. I’ve already let her go. You need to do the same."

He then marched into the Ghost with his tail tip twitching behind him. Halftail gasped as he tried to suck in a painful breath. He kneeled down and felt his heart nearly shattering in his chest. This couldn't be happening. There was certainly no way to change his son's mind, but that didn't mean that he would give up on him. He was still a kit in Halftail's eyes. He didn’t mean the hurtful things he said to him.

Halftail straightened and puffed out his chest slightly, his eyes flickering in grief. He swallowed a painful wail that rose in his throat and waltzed forward. It was time to face the new challenges that awaited.


	87. New Medications, New Problems

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It takes a village to help a stubborn Halftail

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warning for graphic depictions of seizures.

Halftail laid in a dark room in the Rebel ship. He needed some privacy and that was the only way to get it around there. He was just about to drift off when he heard rapid pawsteps darting around the hallway attached to the room. "Halftail? Halftail!"

Halftail moaned as he darted to his paws, shaking his fur slightly. "I'm in here, Ezra. You can come in," he grunted as he darted from the table and landed on the ground harshly with his paws spread. 

Ezra strode in and turned on the lights. Halftail hissed a bit as he darted backwards and thrust a paw over his eyes quickly. He hadn't realized how bright the light was when he turned it on. "Sorry," apologized Ezra as Halftail blinked his eyes slightly as they adjusted. "I didn't know that you were trying to sleep."

“Not anymore," muttered Halftail as he shook his head vigorously. "So, you better have a very good reason for waking me up. I haven't slept in moons."

Ezra played with his hands a bit before shrugged. "Um, yeah, well, we're going on a supply run and Kanan wanted me to ask you if you want to come," he explained.

Halftail rolled his eyes as he stretched out. He felt a strong pull on his muscles, and with a jolt, he realized how tight he was. "That's Kanan's way of telling me that I have to go with your guys. Alright, I'm coming," he muttered as he stood up a bit and yawned to show his teeth. 

Ezra beamed as he led Halftail over toward the Ghost. Halftail charged up into it and saw Swifttail and Keen wrestling as usual.

“Hey, Halftail, where have you been," inquired Keen as his ears twitched as he looked to Halftail. Swifttail had him pinned but he didn't seem to mind in the slightest.

“I was just relaxing," he answered as he waltzed over and thrust his nose against his son's shoulder. Swifttail rolled sideways and Keen darted back to his paws. "Now, let's go!"

The two darted forward and Halftail surged after them. They made their way to the cockpit and Kanan turned in his chair as he heard Halftail approaching. "Hey, Halftail. I wasn't sure that you would come."

Halftail shrugged. Like he had much of a choice. "I couldn't just leave you hanging," he pointed out as he jumped into a seat across from Kanan. He raised a paw and licked it before he drew it tentatively over his ear. 

Kanan laughed as he stroked Halftail between the ears. Halftail pushed him away slightly before Keen and Swifttail jumped into two seats across from him. The two pushed each other like littermates and Halftail couldn't help but roll his eyes. They were a family and they certainly fought like a family.

It wasn't long before they took off. They quickly arrived into the thick of another battle. "Positions, everyone," ordered Kanan as he charged toward his own position, where he could easily shoot at the Imperial fleet. Halftail surged after him and skidded as he tried to follow him. He realized that he was a little of his game. They hadn't had an air attack in a while. 

He heard Keen darting to Ezra's side and the two nearly rolling down the hallway madly. Molis and Zeb went the opposite way, yet he could still hear them arguing. Once he was sure that he couldn't be heard, he turned to Kanan. "Could I ask you something personal," he yowled over the sound of the battle. 

Kanan looked down to him before he continued to fire. "Sure, but make it quick, we don't have much time," snapped Kanan in a sharp tone.

Halftail leaped sideways and grabbed half of the controls. He spiraled the canon over and fired it. The ship blew up in front of him and he spiraled to face Kanan. "Anyway, I received a vision from Bine a few days ago."

“What did she say," inquired Kanan with alert senses as he readied for another ship to streak out.

Halftail kept his ears lifted, but he couldn't hear anything. He thought that he might be able to speak freely. "She told me that she wanted me to be happy and she didn't think I was happy. Do you think that I'm happy?"

Kanan suddenly turned sharply and the movement swept Halftail from his paws. He fell harshly and shook his fur as Kanan fired, but missed. "I have no idea. I'd be happy if they would just stay still!"

Halftail stifled a sigh as he pushed his head against Kanan's shoulder. Kanan stood from his seat and Halftail leaped upward and spun the controls. It spiraled and Halftail fired, another Imperial ship destroyed. He turned back to Kanan with his back pressing against the controls. "Answer me truthfully. Do you think that I'm happy?"

Kanan gave an exasperated sigh as he looked down at Halftaill. He knew that he wasn't about to drop this quickly so he decided to humor him. "You haven't seemed quite yourself since Bine died. It's almost like any fun or happiness has left you. Yeah, you have Swifttail and I know that you love him, but that’s not enough to make you happy. You go through life and I know it's hard for you, but you just seem to go only halfway. You have done a lot of good for others. Although, I'm not so sure about yourself."

Halftail hung his head, knowing that Kanan was right. He hadn’t been himself lately, but he doubted that finding another mate would make him happy. He didn't want another mate; he wanted Bine. "Bine thinks that I should try to love again. I told her that was absurd."

“And why is that," pressed Kanan as he rested a hand on the back of the seat. 

Halftail opened his mouth to answer before a rush of new Imperial ships surged toward him. Halftail gasped in shock before Kanan pushed him out of his seat. Halftail fell harshly and Kanan tried desperately to fire at them. However, he couldn't hit them. Numerous explosions flashed in front of Halftail's eyes and they widened in terror.

He took some steps back until his hackles rested against the back of the ship's walls. It wasn't long before they entered lightspeed again. He hunkered down with his broken tail tip twitching. He couldn't believe what he had just witnessed. They had nearly been obliterated!

Kanan seemed just as taken back as Halftail. He reluctantly turned on the chair and stood, his gaze flickering back to Halftail. "Come on," he urged absentmindedly. "Standing here isn't going to help matters."

Halftail gulped as he followed. They hadn't lost men like that in a long time. He had lost Bine and Sorrelspeck, but not in a battle like that. It just seemed wrong, yet inevitable. He knew that they had to fight, it was a way of life, and they couldn't be shocked when they lost those that they cared about. It didn't mean that it made him feel any better about it.

He ventured forward and saw Keen hopping forward with his head lowered in his shoulders and tail dragging against the ground. Swifttail followed him with eyes continuing to flicker in grief. He managed a look at his father, but Halftail couldn't even force a smile. It just seemed wrong.

They made their way into the heart of the ship and Halftail's gaze rested on Bluefeather. She had her muzzle buried into Molis's fur while the Anooba has his fur plastered so close to his body that he looked almost normal sized. He shook his head gravely as his own eyes glimmered. He reluctantly strode over to Bluefeather and dipped his head to her. "You know, it wasn't your fault," he sympathized gently.

Something in Bluefeather's eyes seemed to shift. Halftail had no idea what that was. "I should have been able to do something," she argued as she turned away from Halftail as if it was painful to look at him.

Halftail understood, so he didn't push it. He turned back to his son. Swifttail was usually never that quiet and he was pleased to see that Adlerleaf was trying to get him to talk. He knew that he had tried to help Ezra and Keen shoot, but he wasn't that good of a shot. He wished he could tell him that it wasn't his fault—it wasn't anyone's fault—but he knew that his son wouldn't believe it. He would think that he was saying it as his father instead of his Master.

Birchfoot suddenly limped forward. He didn't seem as bent out of shape as everyone else. As a healer, he understood that death was a part of life. “Halftail, are you ready for your dose?"

Halftail grunted a bit in discomfort as eyes turned to him. He nodded as he pushed himself to his paws and followed Birchfoot so that no one had to watch him take it. It was humiliating because he could never control how he reacted to it. Sometimes he was fine, while other times it would feel like he was having a fit. Birchfoot had tried to explain to him that it was normal in Halftail’s case. He would never question his healer, but he could have his own thoughts, right?

“Must we do this now," growled Halftail as he trekked after Birchfoot, trying to match his strangely quick pace.

Birchfoot shot him a sideways glance. "Just sitting there, saying nothing isn't going to bring anyone back. You know that, don't you," he inquired as if Halftail should know better.

Halftail was a bit taken back. He leaned backwards slightly and his whiskers twitched. "Of course I know that! It doesn't mean that I have to like it," he quipped in case Birchfoot had forgotten.

“Of course not." He stopped as his room and lifted his paw with some effort to invite Halftail in. Halftail passed him briskly and sat in one of the piles of cloth. If he did have a fit, at least it would be comfortable. He sat across from Birchfoot as Birchfoot dug in his stores until he landed on the syringe. "It will just be like last time and all of the times before. Are you ready?"

Halftail bit his tongue until he tasted blood. "Yes," he rasped slightly as he reluctantly thrust his front foreleg toward Birchfoot. He began to shake and he wasn't sure why. He wasn't afraid of needles. He had been using them since before he could remember. He had no idea what was making him act this way.

It didn't seem to bother Birchfoot. He sunk his claws slightly into Halftail's leg before he turned it over. Halftail hissed a bit in pain but allowed Birchfoot to continue. "Are you okay? I can hold off until we get back but I'd prefer to—“

“Just go," interrupted Halftail as he looked down at his three legs so he didn't have to see it coming. "I can take it."

Birchfoot almost saw that as a challenge. He thrust the top of the syringe into Halftail's vein. He moaned a bit as Birchfoot continued to inject the liquid. Once he was finished, he pulled it back and a bead of blood trickled from Halftail's foreleg. He groaned as he leaned backwards, his eyes flickering slightly at the prospect that the convulsions would start. 

He wasn't wrong.

His body began to seize up and his paws curled back into his chest. His top jaw went one way and his bottom jaw went the other way. Strange foamy liquid pooled from his mouth and trickled down his face. His eyes rolled back in his head and all that he saw was black. He felt everything in his body seem to strain and he couldn't believe what was happening. His body suddenly thrust sideways and he landed on his shoulder. It popped out of place and he couldn't snap it back. 

Soon, the fit eased. He was able to push himself to his paws, but he slid sideways since his shoulder couldn't hold him. "Wolf-scat!" 

Birchfoot darted to his side and forced Halftail to keep low. He squeezed his eyes tightly and he turned to Birchfoot. "Did you know that this was going to happen?!"

Birchfoot shook his head as he ran his paw gingerly over Halftail's shoulder. "I had no idea that this was going to happen. I just knew that this could happen." He managed to feel the dislocation and Halftail gasped in agony. "Sorry. I'll fix it. It's okay."

Halftail didn't say anything since he was afraid that he might say something that he would regret. Birchfoot knew that was what he was doing so he let him do it. He lifted Halftail's shoulder before he thrust it downward. It popped back into place and Halftail snarled in agony. Birchfoot drew back so that Halftail didn't rake his claws against his fur. Birchfoot twitched his ears as he watched Halftail push his muzzle onto the ground.

“Are you alright," inquired Birchfoot as he leaned forward slightly. 

Halftail flicked his head upward with his eyes narrowing to unyielding slits. "I'm fine! Next time, I do that myself," he snapped as he rose to his paws and stumbled forward. He knew that he shouldn't be moving so soon after his fit, but he knew that he wasn't going to sit there with Birchfoot staring at him, wondering if he was alright to walk.

He strode through the hallway and tried not to let the pain show in his eyes. He felt terrible. However, he couldn't let it show. The medication was supposed to make him feel better, not worse. "Halftail! Halftail!" He didn't answer to Birchfoot's incessant calling. It couldn't be that important.

Suddenly, he began to feel woozy. He stumbled a bit against the wall and everything spun in front of his vision. He made a face as he tried to grasp what was reality and what wasn't. He grunted as he took a step and faltered. His jaw hit squarely against the ground and he heard things, but he couldn't make sense of them. He stretched out a paw and it curled in on himself. He desperately wanted to cry out, yet the words couldn’t be forced out.

It wasn't long before he heard footsteps. He pricked his ears to the best of his ability and heard the footsteps getting closer. He then saw what he believed to be the figure of Ezra. Ezra's jaw dropped when he saw Halftail. He had heard about Halftail’s fits, but he had never seen what he believed to be one. "Kanan, Birchfoot," he cried out as he kneeled down.

He drew forward to touch Halftail with Halftail attempting to draw back. The last thing he needed right now was to be touched. He just wanted them to leave him alone to sleep! This wasn't something that he needed to advertise. He knew he was sick, but he didn't need to show it.

Birchfoot hopped down the hallway with Kanan coming from the other side. Kanan got there first and he stared into Halftail's pathetic eyes. He didn't want to be seen like this and Kanan knew it. Kanan kneeled down and scooped Halftail up. He then rushed him to their room and set him on the bed gently. Birchfoot hopped forward next with Swifttail right behind. Swifttail was still training as a healer and sometimes Halftail regretted it, like when his son had to see him like this.

“What happened," asked Swifttail as he turned terrified eyes on Kanan. 

Kanan wasn't exactly sure so he turned to Ezra. Ezra was leaning against the door since he was too afraid to go in. "Ezra, you can come in. Just be quiet."

Ezra crept forward and he shot a quick glance at Halftail. The tom's eyes were squeezed shut and Ezra couldn't tell if he was unconscious or not. "I just found him slumped against the wall. Then I called you," he explained as he looked over to Kanan and Birchfoot.

Birchfoot leaped onto the bed and pressed a nose against Halftail's neck. He felt a pulse, but it was rapid. He drew back and motioned for Swifttail. Swifttail leaped beside Birchfoot and pushed a paw against Halftail's eyelids to open them. "Dad, can you hear me," inquired Swifttail, but it was to no surprise of him when his father didn't answer. 

Swifttail turned to look at Birchfoot. Birchfoot didn't seem as worried. This was just some side effects of the medication, but it was still alarming. "Let him sleep," meowed Birchfoot as he gazed at Kanan. He should be alright in a little bit. Although, he still needed someone to be there when he woke up. "But if he wakes up, call me. He probably won’t remember anything so you may have to remind him what happened." 

He then strode toward the room's door. He turned his head and let out a sharp yowl that rumbled through his throat. Swifttail reluctantly darted back over to Halftail and pushed his way out of the room. Kanan sat down and the bed next to Halftail. He rested his hand on the back of his neck. He then turned his head to look at Ezra. He looked absolutely terrible, and for a second, Kanan thought that he would be sick.

“Ezra, are you okay," Kanan asked as he sighed heavily. 

Ezra slumped a bit. "Does Halftail do that a lot? I've never seen him act like that before," he muttered in what seemed to be a very dark voice.

Kanan rolled his eyes as he patted the space beside him. Ezra hopped beside him, but was careful not to disturb Halftail. Kanan rested a hand on Ezra's shoulder and squeezed comfortingly. "It's been going on since before I knew him. I don't know why and he really doesn't like to talk about it so I don't press it. I probably should have since he seems to be in pretty bad shape. It wasn't your fault, if that is what you're worried about."

"I just can't believe that he is sicker than before. I heard Swifttail telling Keen that he needs to go easy on Halftail. Do we have to tiptoe around him?"

“No, of course not," gasped Kanan as he shook his head, his ponytail bobbing a bit against his shoulders. "You just don't need to give him more than he can handle. Just use your best judgement. He won't tell you even if you are."

Ezra gave a slow nod. Kanan was about to say something else, but Halftail suddenly moaned. His eyes flickered a bit as he looked up at Kanan and Ezra. "Er, Kanan?"

Kanan leaned down a bit and smiled. "Yeah, Halftail, I'm here," breathed Kanan as he stroked his hand down Halftail's head to the back of his neck. "Do you remember anything that happened?"

Halftail rolled his eyes slightly and looked up to Ezra. Ezra gulped as Halftail rested out a paw and tried to rest it into Ezra's hand. He managed to find it and he squeezed Ezra's hand slightly. "I do. Thank you, Ezra. Without you I wouldn't have been able to tell anyone what was going on."

Ezra looked down and he tried to hide the smile that showed on his face. "It wasn't a problem, Halftail. How are you feeling?" He mentally kicked himself after he asked that. He really wasn't sure what he was supposed to ask and he frowned when Kanan glared at him.

It didn't seem to bother Halftail. He blinked his eyes to clear his head. "I hope that I look better than you. You look paler than clouds," he joked as he tried to lighten the mood. 

Ezra seemed a bit embarrassed before Kanan pushed his hand against Ezra's hand. "Alright, get outta here! I'll see you in a little bit, but right now I need to speak to Halftail privately. Oh, and find Birchfoot and tell him that he's awake." 

Ezra nodded as he stood up and Halftail's paw fell from his hand. Once he left, Halftail turned to look at Kanan painfully. "What do you want to talk to me about?"

Kanan thought about maybe dropping it, but then again, Halftail had come to him before. "You were talking to me earlier that Bine told you that you should take another mate."

Halftail hissed and sighed heavily. "Yeah, she told me, but I can't do that. I still love her." He sighed once more. "Things just seem to be getting worse! I can’t understand why this is happening. However, I know that taking another mate will not make me happy."

Kanan nodded in understanding before Birchfoot surged forward with his tail lagging behind him. He brightened at seeing Halftail and relief shone in his eyes. "Halftail! Thank Starbound that you're awake," she purred as he hopped forward and jumped up on the bed. "How are you feeling?"

Halftail shrugged a bit and tried not to show his pain. "I'm alright. I've felt better, but it's nothing that I can't handle, Birchfoot," he assured as he rested his head on his paws. "I just want to get some sleep. I'll wake up when we meet up with the fleet."

Birchfoot snorted as he looked down at Halftail. "I should say that you should stay awake, but if you want to sleep I'm not going to argue it. As long as Kanan wakes you up as soon as we arrive."

Halftail turned and looked to Kanan, who nodded. "I'll watch over him, Birchfoot. Is he alright to sleep? I'll be in here with him. You sure it's not going to make him go into another fit?"

Birchfoot dipped his head timidly. “Yes, he'll be alright. Come get me if anything changes and, Halftail, if you feel strange at all you need to tell Kanan and he will come and get me," he ordered as he jumped down and grunted as he landed. He then dragged himself forward and slumped slightly. 

Kanan looked down to Halftail and Halftail yawned. He wasn't sure why he was so tired. However, as long as Kanan would allow him to sleep, he would. He rested his head on his paws and started to drift off.

Kanan then picked up a book and began to read it silently. Halftail then drifted off into a deep sleep.


	88. Getting Older

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Halftail fears he is loosing his touch.

Halftail blinked open his eyes and saw Bine standing across from him. She purred as she took a step forward and brushed her nose against his cheek. Halftail reached out a paw and pressed it against her cheek, brushing his pad against her fuzzy cheek. She felt so soft and peaceful against Halftail. 

“How are you feeling," inquired Bine as she pushed her head against Halftail's chest. She felt his muscles tense at her sudden touch. She was trying to figure out if he was breathing alright. She knew that he had trouble breathing after his latest fit. 

Halftail knew what she was doing but he didn't care. He liked the fact that Bine was worried about him. She had used to take great care of him when she had still been alive and he was younger. "I'm alright. I miss you, though. I wish that you were with me. You always had a way of making me feel better."

Bine blinked her eyes slowly and sighed heavily. "I don't know about that. You were pretty good without me," she argued with downcast eyes.

Halftail shook his head madly. He took a step forward and licked Bine between the eyes. "I was never good without you," he muttered just so that she knew that he loved her. "Even if you didn't know what to do, you tried. I mean, the crew is great, but you just had this magic touch."

“Magic touch," joked Bine as she touched her nose to Halftail's shoulder. "I'm not so sure about that. I just think that you love me too much to think that I was doing things for my own good."

Halftail purred in amusement as he reared on his hind legs. He pushed his head onto Bine's shoulder and pushed her down. She rolled sideways as her own eyes lit in amusement. She purred, darting to her paws and leaped onto Halftail's shoulders. She sunk her claws gingerly into Halftail's shoulder before she grasped his scruff between sharp teeth. She tried to thrust him down a bit, but Halftail was stronger than she was.

He turned and thrust her down easily. She landed harshly and Halftail tackled her, pushing his paws against her shoulders to hold her down. "You're not the best fighter between the two of us anymore," joked Halftail as he brushed his nose into her cheek, purring nosily. 

Bine thought about pushing Halftail from her but decided against it. She enjoyed being this close to Halftail just like before. She purred as she turned her head and sunk her teeth into Halftail's ear playfully. Halftail pulled himself off of her and sighed heavily with his ears twitching. He drew away from her, but he couldn't stay away for long. She took a step forward and they intertwined tails. She ran her long tail tip against Halftail's half cut tail, causing him to shiver. She had never really minded that he only had half of a tail, even if it made intertwining tails harder. 

“I really miss you," breathed Halftail as grief made his throat feel as though it would close.

Bine shook her head cautiously. "I miss you too. I know that you don't want to take another mate, but I don't think that we can keep doing this, Halftail,” she argued as she shook out her fur.

“And why not," gasped Halftail as his whiskers twitched, still pressed against Bine. He wasn't about to draw away from her.

Bine shrugged. “I don't know. I suppose that we could, but don't you suppose that not sleeping is only going to add to your problems," she pointed out thoughtfully. 

Halftail didn't care if he got worse, as long as he could spend time with Bine. He loved her too much to be apart from her. He knew that most relationships didn’t last long during the wars, but he couldn't imagine ever falling out of love from Bine. It just wouldn't happen. "I would love that as long as you do," he meowed as he kinked both of their tails over their backs and part of her tail brushed against his spine, making him shiver. They hadn't been this close for this long in a while.

Bine wasn't about to argue it. She knew that Halftail was sick and he had admitted that this made him feel better. "Alright, I'll see you every night, but it can't be for long. I have to make sure that you get some sleep."

Halftail couldn't be more pleased with her. He turned his head slightly and touched his nose to hers. "I have to wake up soon, but I promise I'll see you later," he meowed affectionately as he took a step backwards. He wanted to say so much more, but he felt someone pulling at him from the other side. He stared into her eyes and hers glowed. "I love you." 

She dipped her head slightly with her whiskers flicking up and down. "I love you too. May StarBound always light your path."

Halftail then closed his eyes and readied for everything to be right when he woke up.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

“Halftail! Halftail! Don't make me pour water on you."

Halftail grunted as he opened his eyes to look at Kanan standing over him. "Come on, Halftail. Enough with the nap. I think that Birchfoot wants to see you. You have to do some tests."

Halftail hated the tests that Birchfoot made him do with regular consistency, but he wasn't about to tell Birchfoot. At least Birchfoot cared enough about him to run tests. He jumped down from the bed and strode forward. They made their way through the hallway and he saw Kanan veer off to speak to Hera. 

He made his way to Birchfoot's room, tail dragging behind him. He was standing as he tried to sort his herbs that stretched in front of him. "Oh, Halftail, come in. I just need to check your vitals. I wanted to make sure that I did it after you had slept."

Halftail wasn't sure why, but he wasn't about to argue. He sat down in a nest and yawned as he showed his teeth. "Okay, then I need to see what we're doing. I'm starting to think that plans change every few heartbeats."

Birchfoot nodded in agreement as he picked up a stethoscope and pressed it into his ears. He then pushed the other end against Halftail's chest as he heard the patter of his heart. It sounded pretty good, considering all that he had been through. His blood pressure was a little high, but it wasn't anything that he couldn't handle. He then took a step backwards and looked into Halftail's eyes. "Do you think that anything is wrong? Have you felt strange at all?"

Halftail shook his head as he tensed his shoulders slightly. "No, I think that I'm alright. The feelings has certainly passed. I just have to wait until tomorrow to feel it again. Lucky me," he muttered under his breath and shook his head ever so slightly. 

Birchfoot knew that Halftail hated his new medication, but it wasn't like he could do anything about it. He needed to take it to keep him from his fits. If he didn't take it, he would have more frequently and more dangerous fits. "I'm going to work with some other medications so that doesn't happen as often and—“

“Can't I just take less medication, not more," snapped Halftail as the fur along his spine spiked.

Birchfoot hunkered his head into his shoulder before shaking his head. "I know this is frustrating, but you can't take less medication. A few moons ago I would have said yes. However, that was before all this happened. You'll get used to it, Halftail, I'm sure. This won’t be a forever thing.”

Halftail snarled as he thrust a paw against the ground, feeling a jolt rush up his foreleg. "I don't want to get used to it! I've been popping pills for this since I was a kit. I don't want to do that for the rest of my life, Birchfoot."

Birchfoot looked at his paws and shook his fur out, trying to ignore the twinge he felt in his heart for Halftail. He knew that would just make him feel worse. "I'm sorry, Halftail. Let's just take one day at a time and some day I'm sure that you will do fine without pills and other medication. But, not right now. Please, be patient with me and I'll try to figure this out. I do have to admit that seizures aren't my area of expertise. I’m learning as I go just as you are.”

Halftail was glad that Birchfoot was willing to do this for him. "Thank you, Birchfoot. I guess that I can manage a few more moons," he grumbled as he touched his nose to Birchfoot's ear as he strode from the room. 

He passed Bluefeather and Molis. "Hey, Halftail, how are you feeling," inquired Bluefeather as she touched her nose to Halftail's.

Halftail shrugged. "I'm fine. Do you know what the plan is?"

Bluefeather nodded, her eyes shinning in fear. "Well, Hera, Sabine, Zeb, Molis, Adlerleaf, and I are going to see this prototype of a new ship. Hera thinks that if we have it we can actually win battles."

Halftail was just pleased that he wasn't chosen for it. Swifttail and Keen hadn't been chosen either, so he wasn't sure if that was a good thing or not. He just knew that he was tired and they wouldn't make it feel better. "Okay, I better go and see if Kanan needs me. Good luck!”

He stalked forward and made his way to the cockpit. He blinked his eyes to adjust to the light as he saw Kanan prepping the controls. Kanan spun as he heard Halftail's claws against the ground. "Hey, Halftail, how are you doing? Did Birchfoot give you the all clear?"

Halftail dipped his head to answer as he jumped onto a seat next to Kanan. "Yeah, he said that I shouldn't over exert myself, but what else is new?” He looked down at the controls. “Can I help?”

Kanan raised an eyebrow as he shook his head. "I don't think so. You can be with me here, but not as copilot."

Halftail growled a bit under his breath as he reluctantly obeyed Kanan. He didn't want to, but he knew that Kanan was right. He jumped behind him and he slicked his fur against his body. He blinked his eyes slightly before he heard Ezra, Swifttail, and Keen all surging toward them. "I call copilot," announced Keen with his fur spiking slightly. 

“No, I do," argued Ezra as he jumped in front of Keen.

Keen collided with Ezra's leg and he fell backwards, shaking his head to clear it. He growled as Swifttail leaped over him and pushed off of Ezra's shoulder. He leaped into the seat with Ezra pushing him out of it before he could settle, forcing Swifttail to fall on top of Keen. Keen snarled and tried to push Swifttail off of him.

Halftail rolled his eyes as he looked to them. "Easy, you two," he chided as he twitched one ear.

Keen and Swifttail exchanged a glance before they pulled apart from both of them and rose to their paws. They exchanged a sympathetic glance, fur growing hot in embarrassment. Ezra then sat on the seat and glared down at them. Chopper started beeping at him and Halftail hissed as he thrust his paws against his ears so that he didn't have to hear everyone's constant chatter. 

“Enough," snapped Kanan as he pointed his finger at both Ezra and Chopper. "You two are annoying me and Halftail! Now if you're going to do it, do it right."

Halftail gave a nod once everyone had finished arguing. "Trust me, I would sit there if I could and no one would argue me," he growled as he bared his teeth slightly at them to scare them.

It seemed to work. Swifttail's eyes flickered as he sat behind Ezra. He muttered something under his breath but Halftail didn't really care. He was just pleased that they weren't arguing for a change. They might not have been littermates, but they certainly argued like ones. "What are we doing now," he inquired as he tried to look over Kanan's shoulder.

Kanan turned back slightly. "We're going to try and give those supplies to those struggling people. I don't think that the rest of them will be back in time so we're going to have to do it."

Halftail tried not to groan. It was just one battle after another and that wasn't exactly what he wanted. However, he realized that he had to keep going through it and he was willing to do so. "Sounds good," he lied as he rested his head on his paws, wishing that he could do something more.

Keen whimpered a bit as he leaped down and trekked over to Halftail. He jumped and his paws battered against Halftail's shoulder. "Halftail, could we please do some training," he nearly begged with unblinking eyes.

Halftail wanted to say no but he knew that light training couldn't hurt. If he needed to be into another battle, he should do some conditioning. He forced a smile as he leaped down with his paws jolting when he landed on the ground. "Alright, Kanan, we'll be in the cargo bay if you need anything."

Kanan seemed a bit hesitant as well but he didn't show it. He waved his hand as they blasted to lightspeed. Halftail then strode forward and pushed his head against Keen's haunch. Keen scooted forward and dragged himself forward a bit. They made their way down to the cargo bay and Keen flapped around a bit, excitement shinning in his eyes. He didn't have a whole lot of private time with Halftail and when he did, he took full advantage of it.

“Hey," chided Halftail as he thrust a paw against Keen's shoulder to hold him down. "Easy. I can do some light training but nothing too serious, understand?"

Keen seemed to understand and he let out a raspy breath. He finally nodded slowly and had to stop himself from jumping excitedly once more. "Yes, Halftail. I'm sorry. I'm just excited."

Halftail licked his ear to comfort him, forcing it back. “I know and I'm so thankful for you enthusiasm and joy. It makes things on the Ghost a lot easier to handle," he told him and Keen's eyes glowed once more.

Keen wagged his tail madly before he spread his wings. He hunkered down and yelped a bit in excitement. "Come at me! I'm ready," he announced with his haunches wriggling.

Halftail swallowed a laugh as he surged forward. He cuffed a paw around Keen's shoulder, but Keen was faster. He yowled in excitement as he pushed his head against Halftail's own shoulder, forcing him to stagger. Halftail was surprised by Keen's sudden force. He hadn't thought that Keen was that great of a fighter, but practicing with Swifttail must make him hone in on his skills.

Halftail suddenly snarled as he advanced on Keen. Keen wasn't afraid in the slightest, which was surprising. Keen sidestepped, spreading his wings, his chest puffing out in pride. Keen barked in exhilaration as he landed on Halftail's back. He hooked his claws into Halftail's spine, lifting upward with Halftail whimpering in shock. Keen threw Halftail against the wall and his body pulsed in agony upon contact. He slumped onto the ground, but when he looked up at Keen, there was only pleasure lighting in his eyes. "Great job," he praised as he rose to his paws, groaning as he retracted his claws. 

Keen landed beside him, tucking his wings against his sides. "Really? Swifttail has been practicing with me," barked Keen into his chest fur bashfully. 

Halftail took a step forward and touched his nose to Keen's ear. "You're really doing well. Some time soon we will work on lightsaber techniques when we actually have the space for it. I can't have you slicing and dicing up the Ghost. I don't think that Hera would appreciate that," he joked as he jabbed a paw against Keen's ribs.

Keen yelped as he leaped sideways with his fur spiking in amusement. "Yeah, I can't wait," he agreed as he danced on the spot, ears twitching.

Halftail rolled his eyes before he heard a purr from above him. He looked up and saw his son standing at the top of the hanger, gazing down at them fondly. "That was amazing, Keen! I know that I couldn't have done that," he meowed in awe. Halftail was sure that he was just saying that to make Keen feel better. Keen wasn't as rough as Swifttail so sometimes Swifttail said things to Keen to make him feel better about himself. 

Halftail twitched his tail to motion for Swifttail to join them. "Come on down. I'd like to see how you're doing," he meowed, feeling a little bad that he hadn't done this sooner. He had just had so much on his mind, but that wasn't an excuse; no matter what his Master was going through, he had always placed Halftail first. 

Swifttail didn't think twice. He leaped down and landed on gentle paws with his eyes blazing in excitement. He was ready to take down his father, or at least try. "Alright, don't go too hard on me. I don't need any more injuries," he joked as he stared into his son's eyes. They reminded him so much of Bine’a, and for a heartbeat, he thought that he was talking to Bine. 

Swifttail dipped his head as he leaned forward as if he was bowing. "No problem! I just want to win," he told his father as he slicked down his fur. 

Halftail positioned his paws delicately under his body before he lunged. He struck out a sheathed paw and it slammed against Swifttail's cheek. He fell backwards, slightly, but he wasn't done. Swifttail propelled himself forward with his hind legs and his front paws grasped onto his father's shoulders. He tried to take out Halftail's legs from under him, but Halftail knew what he was planning to do. He kept his paws placed firmly on the ground and his body tensed. Swifttail wasn't strong enough to overpower his father and Halftail connected a paw against Swifttail's flank, pushing him backwards. 

Swifttail caught himself and his shoulders tensed a bit. He ducked lower before he rolled into Halftail. Halftail began to stagger and Swifttail pushed him the rest of the way down. Halftail shook his head to clear it as Swifttail pushed his paws against Halftail's shoulders to hold him down. Halftail shifted, but Swifttail was stronger than he remembered. His muscles tensed and nearly protruded from his body. Swifttail hissed and leaned forward with his whiskers tickling Halftail's nose.

“Alright, get up," snapped Halftail but when he tried to move, Swifttail just sunk his claws deeper into Halftail's shoulders.

Swifttail eventually obeyed and landed beside Keen. The two exchanged excited glances and nodded slightly. Halftail wasn't as pleased. He was glad that they were getting better, but he wasn't pleased that he couldn't seem to hold his own against two Padawans. "Okay, go on and see if Kanan or Ezra need your help with anything. Later, we can practice again." 

The two nodded as they trekked forward, jabbing paws at each other as they walked. Halftail rolled his eyes as they play fought the entire way. He knew that it was a miracle that they were so close, he just wondered if he was losing his touch.


	89. Corela

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A mission to find a new B-Wing is more than Bluefeather bargained for.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warning for graphic depictions of violence.

Molis sat with his tail curled around his paws. His gaze flickered over to Bluefeather and Adlerleaf. The two females were speaking quickly with their eyes glowing. They were laughing a bit and Molis wished that he could hear what they were saying to each other. However, he knew that that would just be rude to march over there and ask despite desperately wanted to know.

Bluefeather suddenly lifted her head and smiled as she looked over to Molis with affection shinning in her eyes. "Molis, would you like to come over here," she offered with a flick her wing tip.

Molis didn't need to be told twice. He drew close to her and licked her cheek gently. “Did you need me," he inquired.

Bluefeather shrugged as she rested her head on Molis's shoulder before intertwining her tail with his. "Do you ever think we're going to slow down?"

Molis was a bit taken aback. He thought that Bluefeather loved the life of a pilot. Besides, being with the Rebel cause would never slow. "I don't know," he confessed as he touched his nose with hers. "Why do you ask?"

Bluefeather looked at her paws before she brushed one of her wings against her underbelly slightly. "One day, I'd like to have pups, with you."

He brightened at the thought. He loved Bluefeather, he really did, but the thought of having pups was scary for him. He knew that Halftail had gone down that route and he wasn't sure that was what he wanted. He knew that Halftail loved being a father, but he had also lost his mate and two of his kits in the process. Did he really want that?

“You don't want to have pups, do you," murmured Bluefeather as her eyes darkened in grief. 

Molis shook his head madly as he reached out a paw to graze Blueafether's cheek. "No, of course I do! I just was thinking about what I would have liked to name them," he lied, hoping that it sounded believable. He thought that it did.

Bluefeather brightened as she leaned forward and pressed her muzzle against Molis's. "Come up with anything interesting," she pressed.

Molis had to come up with something on the spot. He realized that he did want names to be like Bluefeather's and Adlerleaf's. Even Halftail sounded good for him. "I like Starpelt for a she-wolf and maybe Brackenstep for a tom?"

Bluefeather shrugged a bit. "Okay, I like where it's going, but I think that we should revisit that later," she suggested as she looked over to Adlerleaf.

Before she could say anything else, Hera looked back to them. "Prepare for impact. Whenever we enter the atmosphere, it will switch off the power."

Adlerleaf tilted her head in surprise. She blinked her eyes as she looked over to Hera. "What is that supposed to mean," she hissed a bit.

Sabine looked down at her companion with flickering eyes. "It means we will be falling," she answered as she grasped her hands around the sides of the seats to keep themselves there. 

Bluefeather leaped onto a seat and stretched out her wings to curl around the sides of her seat. Molis jumped up beside his mate while his claws hooked into the seat with a creaking sound. Adlerleaf leaped up between the two with her tail tip twitching. "Joy. Oh, joy," she muttered as she rested her head on her paws, squeezing her eyes shut madly as if she was trying to block out the thought of falling. 

It wasn't long before Molis actually felt them falling. Everything went black and Molis stretched up his neck slightly. He then felt the Phantom collide with something and he nearly fell forward painfully. The Phantom then landed on a platform and Molis struggled to keep himself upright and he feared that he would fall over. 

“Is it done," groaned Adlerleaf as a green tinge seemed to show on her face. 

Bluefeather lifted her head and retracted her wings. They folded on her back and she gulped. "I think so." She then watched as Zeb stood and took a step toward Hera. The ship lurched forward and she sat back, suddenly wishing that she was back in the air.

Molis gasped as he leaped forward and sunk his teeth into the back of Zeb's pants. He hauled him backwards and mumbled under his breath. "What the heck do you think that you're doing? Are you trying to get us killed," muttered Molis as he thrust him backwards and he sat beside him. 

Hera then made her way toward the back and Bluefeather knew that she couldn't stand there with the prospect for flopping forward over the side of the cliff. Adlerleaf then opened the back of the Phantom and leaped out. She wasn't about to wait for it to fall off the cliff and kill them all. That just wasn't in her plans.

Bluefeather and Molis surged after her and they both panted as they kneeled down and pressed their muzzles comfortingly against the platform. It would do as the ground for now. The rest of the group made their way out and Bluefeather realized how strange everything seemed to be around there. Flying seemed more hazardous than she remembered. 

“What in Starbound's name are you doing here," snapped a voice.

Bluefeather was a little taken back as a large silver and black she-wolf stalked toward her with large wings spread behind her. She snarled at Bluefeather and Bluefeather was too shocked to say anything. 

Adlerleaf, however, was not. 

“Who do you think that you're talking to? We're here to see a prototype of a ship," answered Adlerleaf as she puffed out her chest in pride.

The she-wolf narrowed her eyes to slits. "Are you? How did you get there? I'm guess that you didn't fly," she snorted in mock laughter.

Molis thrust his head toward the Phantom. He knew it wasn't exactly impressive, but it was better than nothing. "We came in that. Is that a problem?"

The she-wolf's eyes flickered as she shook her head. "No, I suppose not. Are you here to test the B-wing," she inquired as she took a step toward Bluefeather.

“Um, my companion is. I'm just here for the thrill," she mumbled into her chest fur. 

The wolf's eyes glowed as her tail kinked over her back. "Who are all of you," she wondered as he looked from Bluefeather, to Adlerleaf, and finally to Molis.

Bluefeather waved her wings to her two friends. "Well, I'm Bluefeather, the Anooba is Molis, and that is Adlerleaf. The two humans are Ezra and Sabine while the other two are Zeb and Hera," introduced Bluefeather as she spread her wings slightly. 

The she-wolf dipped her head to the group of animals. "I'm Starlingflight. I've lived here for moons and moons. No one ever comes to visit us and lives," she joked as she thrust her paws against the platform and kicked up dust.

Bluefeather couldn't imagine being alone on this forsaken rock for any longer than a few days. "Well, you have wings. Can't you fly away from here," she pointed out as her whiskers twitched.

Starlingflight seemed a bit heartbroken that she would suggest something like that. "I can't leave my companion. He hates flying so it's not like he would ever fly with me and I hate flying alone," she muttered before she let out a long sigh.

Bluefeather wasn't about to allow that to happen. She hated flying alone too and she barely flew anymore since Keen was always training. She took a step forward and touched her nose comfortingly to Starlingflight's ear. "How about you and I take a flight together," she offered hopefully.

Starlingflight lifted her head in surprise. Her ears twitched and she shot Bluefeather a hesitant glance, as if she didn't believe her. "Are you sure?"

Bluefeather nodded before she looked to Adlerleaf and Molis. "You can keep things at bay here without me, right," she inquired as she tilted her head hopefully.

Adlerleaf puffed out her chest and nodded surely while Molis looked a bit reluctant. Eventually, he nodded as well and gulped slightly. "Sure, we'll be fine," he barked as he forced a smile.

Starlingflight rumbled before she spread her wings. The tips twitched as she readied to be on her own, flying high in the sky. It had been forever since she had flown, but she didn't feel as scared since she had Bluefeather at her side, even though she didn’t know her. She suddenly charged with her extremely long wings spread to their full length. She leaped from the platform, but the wind caught her and she soared upward.

Bluefeather yowled as she darted after Starlingflight. She leaped off of the platform and the hot wind buffered the fur against her face. She wasn't really used to the heat, but she was sure the faster that she flew, the more the hot air wouldn't bother her. She angled her sweaty feathers before she barked to Starlingflight, to see where she had gone. 

Black tipped wings shone behind a cloud and Starlingflight's head popped after it. She dove toward Bluefeather and yipped excitedly, almost like a pup. Bluefeather barked as she flew over to Starlingflight. She dove downward and brushed her paws against Starlingflight's spine and ruffled her fur. Starlingflight growled playfully and Bluefeather did admit that it was nice to play like that, especially in the air. 

Bluefeather then flew toward what appeared to be a giant rock structure sticking up from the air. She ducked behind it and waited for Starlingflight. Starlingflight surged forward and flapped her wings so that they barely made a sound. "Bluefeather? Bluefeather, are you anywhere near here," she called as she sniffed the air.

Bluefeather struggled not to laugh as Starlingflight continued to draw closer to her. When she was close enough, Bluefeather leaped. Her claws sunk into Starlingflight's shoulders and Starlingflight snarled. but once she realized it was Bluefeather, she sighed a bit. "I thought that you were a Corela."

“A what," inquired Bluefeather as she flew beside Starlingflight. Her wings flapped and they nearly brushed against Starlingflight's. "I've never even heard about a Corela."

Starlingflight shook her head with her ears twitching. "Well, they are only native to here. If can be dangerous to fly regularly here because they'll snatch you down," she muttered with wide eyes. "They have large eyes, giant teeth, and can fly. They have long bodies and almost remind me of a snake. Except, snakes usually can't fly."

Bluefeather knew now why Starlingflight had been afraid to fly by herself. Bluefeather would have been afraid to fly even with Starlingflight, but they were already in the air, so it wasn't like she could back out now. "Do they live around here," inquired Bluefeather.

Starlingflight nodded as she looked over her shoulders. "Yes, they live in those rocks," she answered as she pointed to the structure that Bluefeather had just been hiding in.

Feeling suddenly self-conscious, Bluefeather twitched her fur and shivered. She didn't want to think about the fact that they would want to eat her whole and strip the meat from her bones. “Oh, well, um that's nice," she mumbled since she couldn't think about what to say. 

Starlingflight seemed to sense Bluefeather's unease. She butted her head against the blue furred she-wolf's shoulder. "Let's go. No need to scare you out of you fur," she commented as she stooped forward with her shoulders thrown back as her wings flapped the air around her and circled it. 

Bluefeather followed Starlingflight before Bluefeather felt as if something was wrong. She turned her head and heard a yowl. It appeared to be that snake thing that Starlingflight had told her about. "Fly," yowled Starlingflight as she flew forward madly.

Bluefeather tried to meet her pace, but she was too stunned to say anything. She flew forward until she felt sharp pain in her tail. She turned and saw a Corela with it's teeth sunk deep into her tail. It tried to drag her backwards even as Bluefeather tried to fight back. However, the Corela was much larger and stronger than Bluefeather. "Starlingflight," wailed Bluefeather as she thrust out a paw toward Starlingflight.

Starlingflight was just as afraid of the Corela as Bluefeather was, but she wasn't going to let her be killed. "I'm coming," called Starlingflight as she sped forward. 

She landed on the Corela's back and sunk her teeth into the back of it's neck. The Corela snarled in rage and let go of Bluefeather. Bluefeather pulled her tail from the Corela's mouth, flying forward, her wings flapping wildy. Once Starlingflight was sure that Bluefeather was far enough from the Corela, she jumped from it's back. The Corela snapped it's jaws, but Starlingflight was quicker. 

She surged forward and dove onto the platform. She skidded slightly before she turned her head and saw Bluefeather pressed against Molis in terror. She heard a yowl from the Corela and she turned to see the snake-like creature plowing toward them. "Run," she snapped as she turned her head to face the group as she spread her wings without taking off. The best case scenario, it would run into the platform and maybe kill itself that way.

The Corela surged onto the platform and skidded against it. It shook it’s body and Starlingflight gripped the platform with her claws to steady herself. To her surprise, Adlerleaf surged forward with her tail kinked over her back. "I'll go for the throat if you distract it," she told Starlingflight with a firm nod of her head.

Starlingflight was a bit surprised. She hadn't expected this much determination and courage from a small cat like Adlerleaf. However, she was more than thankful. "Got it," she barked as she scampered forward with her head lowered into her shoulders. Her eyes flickered as she jumped right in front of the Corela's vision.

The Corela turned it's head and snapped it's jaws. Blood dripped from it's teeth where it had sunk them into Bluefeather's tail. Starlingflight took a step forward and jabbed a paw at the Corela's cheek. Her claws sliced through flesh before she took a step backwards, her eyes boring into the Corela's. She saw rage and excitement in it's eyes. Starlingflight then snarled at the Corela with her hackles rising. 

Out of the corner of her eyes, she saw Adlerleaf stalking toward the Corela. She kept her stomach low and her shoulders tensed. Her ears twitched before she finally leaped. She landed on the Corela's back and the Corela went to turn, but Starlingflight couldn’t allow that to happen. She dove forward and sunk her teeth and claws into it's throat. She tore as much as she could and she felt hot, crimson blood oozing around her claws and teeth. 

Adlerleaf then sunk her own claws and teeth against the back of the Corela's neck. She severed the spinal cord from the neck and the Corela fell limp in her grasp. The creature fell and it's mouth opened with a trickle of blood flowing from it in a steady stream. Adlerleaf leaped from the Corela's back while Starlingflight fell from it's throat. She sighed heavily and shook blood from her body. "That was really a great idea, Adlerleaf," murmured Starlingflight as she dipped her head to Adlerleaf. 

Adlerleaf puffed out her chest in pride. "Thanks. You're not too bad yourself," she joked as she brushed her nose against Starlingflight's shoulder gratefully.

Starlingflight then turned her head and watched as Bluefeather crept forward. She pushed her head into Starlingflight's shoulder. "You saved my life! I can't thank you enough," breathed Bluefeather.

Starlingflight shrugged. "You helped me. I think that we're even," she joked as she dipped her head to Bluefeather.

“Bluefeather! Adlerleaf, it's time to go," called Hera to the rest of the crew that was there.

Starlingflight smiled at the two of them and she waved her tail behind her. "I hope that one day I will see you again. Until then, may Starbound light your path."

“And yours as well," purred Adlerleaf as she trekked forward with Bluefeather right at her side.

Hera bounded over to Bluefeather and brushed her hand against Bluefeather's shoulder. "Would you like to help me with the B-wing," she offered excitedly.

Bluefeather brightened as her head nodded vigorously. "Yes, please!"

Hera motioned for the both of them while Adlerleaf plunged into the Phantom. The door closed behind her and she reared on her hind legs, gazing down at Starlingflight. She waved her paw down at the silver and black she-wolf.

Starlingflight lifted her wing and waved it back up at her new friends. Her eyes glowed as they took off. She then looked over at the Corela. At least she had food for moons.


	90. Saved By Son

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Swifttail and Halftail may not always get along, but they know they can always count on each other.

Halftail pushed himself into Birchfoot's room and he saw the tom still sorting herbs. "Do you do anything else," he joked with his tail tip twitching. 

Birchfoot turned his head and rolled his eyes. "I guess. What would you prefer that I do? I don't have a mate so it's not like I can do anything like that," he pointed out with his whiskers twitching. 

Halftail rolled his eyes back to Birchfoot as he strode forward and looked down at the herbs that Birchfoot was sorting. There were syringes and other pills that he was sorting as well from the medical supplies that they had been able to score. "True. Would you like some help?"

Birchfoot seemed a bit taken aback. Halftail usually never offered, unless he had a very specific reason to. "Sure, I guess. Is there something that you want to talk about since that's what it sounds like," he pointed out as he passed some herbs for Halftail to sort. 

“Do you think that I'm losing my touch," inquired Halftail as he lowered his muzzle and began to brush some leaves into piles. He thought that one was borage and the other was thyme, but this was something that he knew a lot about. "I mean I lost to both Keen and Swifttail today. I used to be able to fight both of them at the same time with a paw tied behind my back and still win! I can't do that anymore." 

Birchfoot knew how Halftail was feeling. He had known that his father had gone through almost the same thing after he had been injured. Birchfoot wasn't sure how that was like since he had been injured when he was born. He did know that his father losing his identity had almost cost his mother and father their marriage. “I don't think that you're losing your touch. What I do think is that you are figuring out who you are, now."

Halftail snarled and thrust a paw against the ground. He scattered his newly sorted herbs and he groaned, knowing that he would need to sort them again once more. "I don't want to be different! I'm still a Jedi," he reported with a firm nod of his head.

Birchfoot didn't doubt that, but it appeared as if Halftail did. That's why he felt like he needed to clarify on it. "I never said that you weren't. I just think that you're learning to deal with some things and that's changing you. You have to accept that, Halftail."

Halftail shook his head as he picked up the herbs and set them in their own piles once more. He couldn't even bring himself to look into Birchfoot's eyes. "Do you think that I need to retire?" 

Birchfoot seemed a bit shocked that Halftail would ever even bring that up. That was certainly not like Halftail at all. "Of course not! I just think that you need to take care of yourself. Once you do that, everything else should fall into place," he assured as he made his way over and curled his tail around Halftail's shoulder comfortingly.

Halftail shrugged it away and carried it over to Birchfoot's clefts in the walls. He reared on his hind leg and pushed them back so that they wouldn't fall. Every time Hera did some fancy move the herbs would fall and Birchfoot would need to sort them again. "I'm not so sure about that. Why did I get worse in the first place? What's to stop me from continuing to get worse," he rambled absentmindedly. 

Birchfoot sighed as he thought about what he should say. He really didn't have a good answer for him. "I have no idea, but I told you that I would find out. We just have to wait to run more tests. Besides, you can't give up. What do I always tell you," he inquired as he leaned forward.

The half tailed tom laughed forcibly. "That Swifttail needs me."

“The whole crew needs you," pointed out Birchfoot as he picked up a few syringes and tucked them under his chin. Halftail would need those later. "Don't get down on yourself. I hope that that made you feel better."

Halftail nodded, although he wasn't sure. Birchfoot always told him what he needed to hear, not always what he wanted to hear. "I think so. Thank you, Birchfoot."

Birchfoot dipped his head before he heard mad pawsteps bounding down the hallway toward them. The door opened and Swifttail emerged with his ears plastered against his head. "Kanan needs you, Dad," he meowed as he turned back and began to bound back against the hallway.

Halftail blinked his eyes thankfully at Birchfoot, quickly leaving him to pad out of the room. He landed in the hallway and darted after his son. He raced to his side until they were so close that their fur brushed. "What does he need," inquired Halftail as he looked down on his son.

Swifttail tilted his head up with his paws thundering against the ground as he ran. "He didn't say. He just told me to come and get you," he answered as he veered into cockpit.

Halftail followed him and saw Kanan looking at the screen with troubled eyes. Halftail marched forward, jumping as Chopper beeped and pushed against him. Halftail snarled in anger and reared on his hind legs, shoving Chopper away from him. "Chopper, lay off," he snapped as he jumped onto the seat behind Kanan, since Ezra was still in his preferred seat. "Did you need me, Kanan?"

Kanan pivoted in his chair and nodded gravely. "Could you man the guns?" He asked in almost a whisper and as if he was ashamed of it. Halftail wasn't sure why. He really didn't mind if he did. He wasn't the best shot, but he wasn't bad either. 

He gave a firm nod with his fur puffing out in pride. "Er, yeah, sure," he meowed as he leaped down and landed harshly on his four paws. 

“Wait," argued Kanan and Halftail waited, his fur bristling. "I want you to take Swifttail." 

Halftail faced him and surprise and rage made his fur bristle even more. Did Kanan not think that he could handle it on his own? He opened his mouth to say something, but Kanan waved a hand to silence him. "Just in case, Halftail. If you would prefer Keen or Ezra I could manage—“

Halftail gave his head a firm shake as he marched forward. "No, Swifttail is fine." He padded out of the room and touched his nose to Swifttail's ear. He had been too afraid to come in and Halftail was actually grateful. "Follow me."

Swifttail didn't need to be told twice. He followed his father and the two made the way to the heavy artillery. Halftail pushed his way in and Swifttail pushed in beside him. Halftail sat in the seat and turned it around a bit so that he could face his son. "Dad, I heard you speaking to Kanan the other day," he confessed as he looked at his paws gravely.

Halftail tilted his head. This certainly wasn't the first time that Swifttail had confessed to eavesdropping, but he knew that that was almost part of Swifttail now. "Oh, and what did you hear," he inquired as he raised a paw and licked it to began to give himself a quick grooming. 

Swifttail shuffled his paws, his tail twitching. "I heard you tell him that you had spoken to Mother. Is that true," he pressed, even though he was pretty sure that he knew the answer. Halftail didn't usually lie and certainly didn’t lie about something like that. 

Halftail stopped grooming, mid lick. He thrust his paw downward and his eyes flickered as he looked to Swifttail. "Yes, it's true. Why do you care to know," he inquired in a harsher tone than he meant.

“I just was wondering. Mother never comes to visit me," muttered Swifttail bitterly into his chest fur. He was glad that his parents loved each other as much as they did, but he couldn’t lie and say he wasn’t jealous. It seemed like his mother was always visiting his father in his dreams, but never visiting him. He didn't think that his mother had ever visited him, or if she did he had forgotten. 

Halftail sensed the jealousy and he sighed. He had no idea why Swifttail had to make everything so difficult. "It's different when she comes to visit me. It's all business," he lied. He didn't doubt that Swifttail needed it too, but it was different. He just didn't seem to understand. "Don't make this into something that it's not, Swifttail." 

Swifttail plastered his ears against his head without saying anything. He didn't want to argue with his father and he knew that Halftail didn't want to argue with him either, especially not now. Halftail waited for him to say something, but he partly knew that Swifttail wouldn't. When they got this way it was just easier not to speak at all. He knew not to push him and he was almost glad when an Imperial Fleet surged toward them, distracting them from their bitter argument. 

He turned madly in his chair and placed a paw on the controls. He narrowed his eyes slightly and used the force to see where everything was coming from. Once he realized it, he fired. One ship exploded, but there were dozens that were still advancing on them. They began to fire on him and he swore under his breath. His paws began to shake with the effort. Luckily, thanks to his medication, it wouldn't allow another fit. It was the strangest feeling knowing that his body wanted to do something when the medication wasn't letting him.

“Dad," urged Swifttail as he stretched out a paw and rested it on one of Halftail's shaking paw to steady him. 

Halftail had no idea how bad it was before he looked down on his paws. His eyes stretched wide when he realized that his paws couldn't even stay on the controls, they were shaking that bad. He looked back over to Swifttail, not sure what to say. Luckily, he didn't need to. Swifttail took care of that. 

His son rested his paws on top of his father's and pulled the reluctant tom out of the seat. Halftail laid on the ground with his paws continuing to shake madly out of his control. Swifttail leaped into the seat and began to swivel to get comfortable with the controls. He hadn't really practiced this before, but he was sure that it couldn't be that hard. He began to fire it and he didn't do half bad. He was no match for the Imperial Fleet, but this was certainly a make it work moment.

Halftail looked up at his son and pride sparked through him. While his paws were twitching and body shaking, Swifttail had really stepped up. Kanan was right to send him. He watched Swifttail's eyes dart around madly and he saw the same determination that his mate had once possessed when she was alive. He just wanted to tell Swifttail that he didn't need his mother; he had her inside of him. 

“What's that," gasped Swifttail as he saw the shadow of what appeared to be another ship. He hoped and prayed that it wasn't another Imperial ship. 

Halftail gazed after the ship. He saw a flash of it out of the corner of his eye. "I'm pretty sure that that isn't one of them," he assured, embarrassed at how shaky even his voice was.

If Swifttail picked up on it, he didn't let it show. "How do you know," he breathed as he struggled to catch another glance at it.

Halftail reared on his hind legs and when he pressed his paws against the wall, they still shook. He saw the strangely shaped ship began to fire at the enemy ships. "Because they're shooting with us, not against us," answered Halftail as a smile played on his lips. 

Swifttail nodded in agreement, and as the ship passed through them, he saw Bluefeather and Hera. "You go, Bluefeather," exclaimed Swifttail as his fur stood on end.

Halftail nodded and it wasn't long before one of the massive Imperial Ships had been destroyed. He jumped down before he bounded toward the middle of the ship. "Come on, Swifttail."

Swifttail didn't need to be told twice. He charged after his father, but he was aware that Halftail was still shaking. That was making it difficult for him to walk even as he tried not let it show. He couldn't just stop doing what he loved, even if Birchfoot had told him to take it easy. They made their way to the cockpit and Kanan's eyes shone in pride.

“That was amazing, wasn't it," he murmured as Halftail sat beside him. Kanan stretched out a hand and rested it on Halftail's shoulders. He then realized how madly Halftail was shaking and that Halftail couldn't stop it or control it. That was alarming for him, but Halftail wasn't about to let Kanan draw away from their moment to fret on him.

Halftail nodded while his teeth chattered. “Yes, it was," he agreed as he turned his head toward Keen and Swifttail. They were chattering like starlings to each other and Swifttail told Keen about he he had actually shot an Imperial ship. Keen's eyes widened in shock and admiration. He knew that he couldn't do that, or at least he didn't think that he could do that. 

“That was incredible! You have to teach me how to do that," jabbed Keen as he reared on his hind legs and leaped almost over Swifttail's back.

Swifttail's eyes glowed as he nodded to his friend. "Er, sure! I don't think that I really did that good but I think that if we practice together then we can both get better," he suggested.

Halftail's attention then turned back to Kanan as he nudged his shaking frame slightly. "Hey, how are you doing?"

Halftail really didn't want to answer that, but he would. "I'm fine, Kanan," he snapped. Unfortunately, the more he denied it, the more his body began to shake. He knew that he wouldn't have a fit, but he was certainly on the edge. 

Kanan didn't agree with it, yet he knew that Halftail wouldn't allow him anymore questions. That just wasn't him. Instead, he nodded and strode from the room with Halftail following. They made their way over to Birchfoot's room and they padded in.

Birchfoot was a bit surprised to see them. Although, he never minded a visitor. "Hey, what's going on," he asked as he looked over to Kanan and Halftail. 

Kanan motioned for Birchfoot. Birchfoot hopped over and sat beside Halftail. "Halftail, what's going on," he asked fretfully. 

Halftail scowled.

Kanan rolled his eyes as he sat down and looked into Birchfoot's eyes. "I want you to assess Halftail. I don't think that he's feeling too well. He's just too stubborn to admit it."

Halftail narrowed his eyes up at Kanan until Birchfoot decided to break it up. "Okay, Halftail, come here," he ordered in a tone that didn't allow arguing.

Halftail grumbled a bit as he strode forward with his body still trembling. He sat in front of Birchfoot and gazed up at him. His head continued to twitch. "Easy," murmured Birchfoot as he stretched out a paw and kept Halftail's head from shaking. He didn't want anything to set Halftail into another fit. "Look at me and calm down." Halftail really didn't seem to understand that so he continued to shake. "Kanan, could you get me a cold cloth?”

Kanan nodded as he turned and strode away. Birchfoot then rested his paws on Halftail's shoulders and pushed him down. "Lay on your back and just listen to me. Okay?"

Halftail nodded and tried to keep his gaze focused on Birchfoot. "Why is this happening? I thought you said that I was fine," he snapped.

Birchfoot grasped one of Halftail's paws and squeezed it a bit. "I don't know. This is going to be a uphill battle for you and for everyone else."

Halftail gritted his teeth as he thought about what to say. He then saw Kanan came forward with a small bowl of water and a small cloth. He sat beside Halftail and thrust the cloth in the water. He then pressed it against Halftail's forehead and gradually the shakes began to subside. Halftail turned away from Kanan and shivered with his tail tip twitching. 

Once they were sure that Halftail was out the woods, Birchfoot took a step back. He looked up to Kanan and sighed. "I'd like to keep him here. Every time he leaves, things get even worse," he pointed out gravely.

Kanan nodded in understanding. "Okay, just get me if you need anything," he murmured as he ruffled the fur between Halftail's ears. He then left, and once Birchfoot was sure that he was gone, he began to groom Halftail's ruffled fur. 

Halftail rolled his eyes upward and struggled not to groan. "Birchfoot, did Kanan leave?"

Birchfoot leaned forward and continued to rasp his tongue over Halftail's sweaty fur. He knew that Halftail was in pain and that he felt awful. He just hoped that this would soothe him, at least a little. "Yes, he did. I'm going to watch over you for a little bit. Is that alright?" 

Halftail thought about arguing. He didn't need to be looked after, but he knew that would probably hurt Birchfoot's feelings. Instead, he nodded and slumped his head onto his right shoulder, yawning tiredly. "Yeah. Birchfoot, do you think that I'm dangerous, to everyone here?"

Birchfoot's eyes widened in shock. He was starting to hate these conversations that they always seemed to have. "I don't think that you're dangerous to us. But, if you think that you are then I can order some leave time for you.”

Halftail didn't want that in the slightest, but he couldn't continued to put the lives of those on the Ghost at risk. “I don't know what I want, Birchfoot. Actually, I just want to be healed and that's not happening. The only thing that is happening is that I'm getting worse. Why?" 

Birchfoot clustered closer to Halftail and touched his nose to the tom's ear. "I know this has been hard on you, but you're heavier than you believe, stronger than you seem, and smarter than you think. You will always be the cat I look up to as a father," he told him and he actually saw Halftail smile, genuinely. 

Halftail blinked his eyes before he rested his head on his paws, thinking about what to say. However, Birchfoot wasn't going to have any long drawn out conversations, at least not anymore. He packed some cloths closer to Halftail to make him more comfortable. "Just get some rest and we'll talk more tomorrow," he told him before his stomach growled. "I'm going to get something to eat."

He then strode from the den with his hind leg hanging limply behind him. He made his way into the hallway and swore when he collided with something. He lifted his head and saw Swifttail standing a pace away from him. He bowed his head and his tail tip twitched. "Sorry," apologized Swifttail as his ears twitched. 

Birchfoot rolled his eyes. Swifttail really had to be more discrete with his eavesdropping. "What are you doing here?"

Swifttail lashed his tail as he turned away from Birchfoot. He shuffled his paws before he faced Birchfoot with shadowed eyes. "Look, I just wanted to make sure that he was alright. I hate seeing him like that," he grumbled as he thrust his paws against the ground.

“I know," sympathized Birchfoot as he curled his tail around his apprentice's shoulder. He hopped forward and Swifttail matched his pace. "But I'm going to make sure that he's okay. Just don't pressure him. He'll come to you if he needs to," he assured as he touched his nose to Swifttail's ear.

Swifttail smiled. He knew that Birchfoot would take care of his father as well as the rest of the crew. He knew that they would get through it, but it was hard to watch his father suffer. He knew that it would be the same thing with Halftail if Swifttail was ill. "Okay. I understand."

Birchfoot cuffed Swifttail's ear affectionately. "Good! Would you like to get something to eat?"

Swifttail nodded vigorously. "That would be great! I think that we have some rations in the fridge," he offered since he distinctly remembered Adlerleaf and Molis placing them in the fridge to keep them cold the day before.

Birchfoot made a face. He certainly didn't like rations at all. He needed prey and he knew that he had some stored back in the the freezer. He just needed to make sure that no one else found it, since he was sure that that was disturbing. "I have a better idea. I think that I have a mouse in there that we can share," he joked as he pawed at the ground. 

Swifttail's eyes glowed as he nodded. The two toms strode side by side toward the kitchen. They would have another battle very soon, but until then, they would make the most out of every moment.


	91. Precious Rock and Memories

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Birchfoot sighed, a sound to match Halftail's own sighs. "Look, I miss Sorrelspeck, almost as much as you miss Bine. I just can't dwell on her not being here. I just need to sort of act like she is," he explained as he moved his one paw to show his point. "That's how I get through it. Maybe you should try?"

Halftail laid on his back with his paws facing the ceiling. He purred, despite himself, like an excited kitten. His eyes were partly closed and he just wished that the peace would last.

“Hey, give that back!"

Halftail inwardly groaned as he heard the voice of Keen. He then heard harsh beeping and he sensed that it must be Chopper. He rolled his eyes as he rose to his paws and leaped down, shaking his pelt out. He trekked forward and ducked his head as the door opened. He saw Keen surge forward and nearly push himself from his paws.

Halftail rolled his eyes. "For StarBound’s sake," he grumbled as he stalked forward with his eyes narrowing to slits. He bounded forward and saw that Keen was flapping his wings madly over Chopper's frame. He hovered over Chopper and beat his paws against his dome. “Give it back," snapped Keen as he tried to snap his jaws against one of Chopper's mechanical arms.

“What is going on," snapped Halftail as he stalked forward and lashed his tail. 

Keen looked over at Halftail and his eyes hardened. "Tell Chopper to give it back," he demanded as he flapped downward and landed. He snarled in Chopper's direction. Chopper beeped as if he didn't do anything wrong.

Halftail rolled his eyes as he stalked forward. He stopped beside Chopper and glared at the droid. "What did you do to tick of Keen? I don't think that I've ever seen him so aggravated," he murmured as he kinked his half tail over his back.

Chopper beeped madly, but Halftail couldn't make it out. It just resulted in giving him a headache. "Okay. Okay. Calm down, both of you," he snarled as he clenched his jaw. It seemed like the shenanigans never ended. "Now what seems to be the problem and tell me in a nice and calm way?

Keen let out a deep breath, shoulders slumping. "Chopper took something very important to me. Tell him to give it back," he yelped in almost a whimper.

Halftail knew that it had to be something important. Keen didn't act like this often. There had to be a legit reason. "May I ask what he took?"

Keen bit his lip until a small bead of blood dripped from it. His head hung and paws shuffled. “He took a rock."

“A rock," echoed Halftail as he raised a paw and pressed it against the corner of his eye. "Okay. I'm guessing that this rock is important?" 

Keen's eyes hardened as he worked his claws against the ground in absolute agitation. "It's very important," whimpered Keen as he jumped against for Chopper's mechanical arm.

Chopper beeped and his dome spun as he continued to pull it away from Keen. A wail rose in Keen's throat as he surged forward and pushed his paws against Chopper's body. The droid fell backwards with a thud. Halftail rolled his eyes a he rushed forward. He thrust his paw against Chopper's mechanical arm to hold it down. His head snapped down and his mouth picked up the rock with his teeth. He helped Chopper up in the aftermath before he strode forward and dropped the rock at Keen's paws.

It was very beautiful, for a rock. There wasn't much actually to it but it was smooth and light gray. It was in the shape of a curved claw and the tip was almost black. Halftail knew that it had to have some meaning for Keen.

“There you go," breathed Halftail as he watched Keen pick up the rock with his wings. He tucked it on his back and he sighed in relief.

Keen bared his teeth other at Chopper. "Just leave me alone and never take it again," roared Keen as he turned and darted away from Chopper.

Halftail narrowed his eyes as he glared at Chopper. "Are you happy about this?"

Chopper made some sad beeps as if he understood what he had done was wrong. Halftail turned and strode away from the group with his shoulders tensing as he walked. He ducked back into the living room and saw Ezra sitting and talking to Kanan and Swifttail. Halftail strode over to them and dipped his head slightly to them.

“Could I ask Ezra a question," he inquired as he looked over to the blue haired Padawan. 

Kanan nodded slowly while Swifttail's ears twitched. Ezra stood up and nodded in respect to Halftail. "Sure, Halftail. What do you need?"

Halftail kinked his tail over his back and motioned for Ezra to follow him. Ezra obeyed and they made their way over to the kitchen area. Sabine and Adlerleaf were in there but they quickly left since they sensed that it was serious. Halftail sat on the ground while Ezra sat on the counter. "Do you know anything about a special rock?"

Ezra stiffened. Halftail leaned forward and touched his paw gingerly against Ezra's leg to draw him back from his daydream. Ezra shook his head madly and his eyes widened. "I wouldn't mess with that rock if I were you."

“So you do know about it," murmured Halftail as he gave a meaningful twitch of his whiskers.

Ezra jumped down from the counter and Halftail felt the jolt through the ground. He kneeled down and glanced into Halftail's eyes. "Yes, but I wouldn't press Keen about it more than you need to. He hates when anyone looks at it, let alone takes it. Don't pressure him into telling you about it either."

Halftail drew back. He muttered a bit under his breath as his tail tip twitched back and forth. "Okay, but if this happens again I'll have to speak to him, you know that."

Ezra nodded as he threw his shoulders forward as he strode forward. "Yes, I do, but Keen won't. That rock is very important to him. He keeps it next to the bed when he sleeps and every night he does some special thing with it but he won't let me see. Chopper taking it was beyond rude and irresponsible."

Yeah, Halftail got that, but it wasn't like the teasing and taunting would ever stop. It was a regular occurrence on the Ghost and it happened more and more as the time drawled on. Living in close quarters also made those teasing tempers shorter and hotter than usual. He sighed heavily and marched forward with his tail kinked over his back as he pushed through the kitchen doors. He stalked over to Hera and Kanan from where they spoke quietly, heads bowed close together.

He hunkered down and rested his head on his paws, his eyes flickering as they faced the wall in front of him. He was catching bits and pieces of their conversation, but it wasn't really interesting to him. All about 'supply routes' and 'secret information' that needed to be 'transported' with 'skilled hands'. He had no idea what they were hinting at but he just hoped that he wasn't picked. He was tried beyond reason and he just wanted to sleep.

“Halftail. Halftail." Halftail felt something collide with his shoulders. He lifted his head skeptically and his head tilted in surprise. Half of his whiskers were scrunched against the side of his face. He realized that it was Hera who had aroused him, not Kanan. "Hey, Halftail, sorry to wake you, but do you think that I could borrow Swifttail for a mission? I know that you two are supposed to be training and Birchfoot needs him for medicine cat training but I really need him."

Halftail blinked his eyes before he rose to his paws, back arching. He felt the familiar pull of his muscles and he realized how old that he was getting. He hated to think about it, but it was a reality that he was going to have to face. "Sure. I'm sure that he would be willing. Could I know what this is about?"

Hera patted the spot on the couch next to her. Halftail would have been fine on the floor if it wouldn’t have been rude to refuse the offer. He wiggled his haunches as he leaped. He landed on the couch and hunkered down with his head rested on his paws. "We need to transport information to a Senator in the outer rim. They might encounter some questionable circumstances. Swifttail seems to do well in those situations."

Halftail dipped his head to Hera and Kanan. "Yes, Swifttail would be very good for this. Who else is going?"

“Ezra, Chopper, Sabine, and Adlerleaf," answered Kanan as he leaned back and crossed his arms. "I was thinking about Keen as well, but that's your call."

The mention of Keen sent a jolt through Halftail's spine. After the explosion earlier, he doubted that Keen and Chopper could be in the same ship, let alone the same room. "I don't think that Keen should go. Maybe next time. Until then I'll train him here. Besides, there's a lot of rebels already going. We don't want to attract too much attention."

Kanan seemed to understand and Hera stood, ready to prep the crew. She stalked forward and Halftail plopped down on his back, his paws resting against his chest. "I wonder if I was this bad as a Padwan."

Kanan laughed as he leaned forward and pushed Halftail affectionately. "They aren't bad. Things are just a lot different than when we were younger and these battles are stretching us thin. Tempers are short."

Halftail nodded in agreement. "You can say that again. We snap at each other over anything right now," he pointed out as he stretched his jaws in a yawn. "But I think that it will just take some time."

Kanan agreed wordlessly and it wasn't long before there was small pawsteps coming toward them. Halftail turned his head slightly and saw Keen padding toward them, his wings hung against his flank. "Halftail, may we train now," he nearly begged with round eyes.

Halftail was relieved to have something to do. He rose to his paws and leaped down beside Keen. Keen was almost as large as him, now, and it wouldn't be long before Keen was larger and taller than Halftail. Halftail led him over to the hanger and he leaped down. Keen flew down and he landed beside Halftail, his eyes bright.

“Are you ready," offered Halftail as he raked his claws against the ground. 

Keen reared on his hind legs and pawed proudly through the air. "I’m ready, Halftail!”

Halftail didn't really want a repeat of the last time that they fought. He had been fighting against himself, and even Kanan to sharpen his skills. However, he still wasn't as sharp as he once had been. That didn't mean that he would give up, but he might not be the same fighter that Keen had been wanting.

Keen suddenly surged forward and sunk his claws into Halftail's shoulder. Halftail reared on his hind legs and he raked sheathed paws against Keen's underbelly. He pulled Keen down underneath him and placed his full weight on Keen's chest. Keen gasped in shock, exhilaration shinning in his bright blue gaze. He suddenly turned and Halftail slipped off of him. Keen then raised his hind legs and pushed them against Halftail's underbelly. He threw Halftail backwards and he fell against the wall.

He shook his head madly, his eyes struggling to focus. He growled with his lips drawn back in a snarl. He exploded forward and thrust one paw for Keen's shoulder, and when he dodged that one, another paw was ready to push against Keen's neck. Keen fell sideways with his wings puffing out as he tried to fly away from Halftail. Halftail sunk his teeth into Keen's wings to hold him down. He fell painfully against the ground with his eyes rolling upward as he fought to breathe with Halftail on top of him. Halftail drew back and watched as Keen coughed madly. 

“Wow," puffed Keen as he sat upward with tears streaming down his face as he struggled to breathe. "I didn't know that you had that in you."

Halftail secretly didn't know that he had that in him either. He was pleased, despite the fact. "Would you like to go again," he offered as he helped Keen to his paws.

Keen nodded slowly as he looked into Halftail's eyes. "Yes, but give me a heartbeat," he pleaded as he took in a few more raspy breaths before he finally nodded. 

Halftail purred as he positioned himself across from Keen. This time he was the one to lunge forward. His paws connected with Keen's flank, but Keen was ready. He leaped into the air and landed on Halftail's neck. He sunk his teeth into the back of Halftail's neck and Halftail felt the sharp pain like a jolt of electricity through him. He reared on his hind legs and Keen dislodged from his back. Keen fell on the ground and Halftail spun on him quickly. He was about to thrust his paws against Keen's body, but Keen rolled and Halftail missed. Keen leaped sideways and grasped Halftail's neck as he thrust him against the ground. The world spun in front of Halftail. However, he wasn't about to give up that easily.

He rushed to his paws and kicked Keen's legs out from under him. Keen fell onto his flank and he was too tired to rise to his paws. Halftail secured his legs and gazed into Keen's eyes. "Surrender?"

Keen nodded vigorously. "Yes," he whimpered as Halftail leaped from him. His muscles roared in agony while his pelt was matted in sweat.

“You did very well," purred Halftail as he touched his nose to Keen's ear.

Keen drew back as he licked a paw and drew it over his stinging ears. "Yeah, whatever," he muttered.

Halftail knew that Keen was just frustrated and tired. Halftail was too, but he didn't let it show. "Don't worry; you'll get it. I'm just having a really good day. I haven't taken my medication yet," he pointed out, knowing that once he did he would probably be weaker than a mouse.

Keen looked up and his eyes glowed with it's usual vigor. "Then maybe we can fight once you do?"

Halftail stretched out a paw and cuffed Keen's ear playfully. Keen fell backwards before he rose to his paws and scampered forward with his wings slightly lifted. He shook his head gruffly as he stretched out each pulsing paw in turn. He grumbled before he trekked forward and climbed the hanger ladder to get back into the living room. He saw Molis and Bluefeather speaking quietly and he couldn't help but have a spark of curiosity surge from him.

He strode over and dipped his head to the two. "Good morning. Bluefeather, may I ask you a question," he inquired with his tail tip twitching.

Molis licked Bluefeather's cheek affectionately before drawing away from them and padding toward the kitchen. Blufeather faced him and smiled. "Of course, Halftail. Is this about Keen?"

Halftail realized how transparent he probably had become to Bluefeather. "Yes, it is. He has a rock that Chopper took today and I've never seen him so angry. Do you know about that rock?"

Bluefeather hung her head and at first. Halftail was sure that she wouldn't answer. When she finally lifted her head, her nostrils flared slightly. "Yes, I do. That was one of the only things that Keen's parents actually gave to him."

Halftail had thought that it was something like that, but he hadn't asked. Bluefeather knew more about Keen than he or even Ezra did. "It looks like a claw."

“Yes, it does," Bluefeather rumbled in amusement. "His father always told him that he ripped it out of a Sarlac's mouth! Actually, he found it while he was hunting one day. They didn't have much credits so gifts were few and far between."

Halftail understood that Keen had had a hard life, but holding onto things wasn't great for a Jedi. They couldn't form any attachment, but it was clear that Keen did. He was trying to teach the apprentices ways of the Jedi, but it was difficult when things were so different than they had been. He wouldn't mention the rock again; at least he understood more. "Thank you for telling me, Bluefeather."

Bluefeather shuffled her paws. "No problem, but that's not all that is important to him about that rock."

Halftail rolled his eyes. There were so many things going on with this stupid rock. "Okay, what now," he muttered as he tried not to show his anger with Bluefeather.

“He thinks that he can feel his parents through the rock," she explained with a dip of her head. "I don't know if it's true or not. I wouldn’t tell him that. He becomes very defensive."

Halftail wasn't about to ask or even speculate. He understood the feeling of wanting to be close to those you had lost so much that you feel like you have been. He knew that he spoke to Bine in his dreams so he didn't doubt that Keen spoke to his parents at least sometimes. However, he didn't think that the rock had anything to do with it. He would never say that in front of him even if he thought it was true.

“Please, don't tell him that I told you,” she broke in as she looked at her paws.

“I won't. I don't need to ruffle anymore fur."

Bluefeather dipped her head before Halftail trekked off. He made his way over to Birchfoot's room and saw that he was running himself rampant. He knew that Swifttail helped out a lot with Birchfoot, and when he didn't help, Birchfoot certainly felt it. "You alright," asked Halftail as he surged forward and twitched his ears.

Birchfoot turned and knocked over a pile of herbs with his tail. He swore under his breath, looking to Halftail. "Sorry. With the ship moving like a tornado my herbs keep falling everywhere!"

Halftail nodded in understanding as he darted forward. He lowered his head and scooped up some herbs in his mouth. He pushed them back into the stores since he knew that it would be extremely difficult when Birchfoot only had three working legs. Once he was finished, he turned to face his friend and dipped his head. "Now that I've helped you, then can you help me?"

Birchfoot seemed relieved that Halftail had come to him on his own, not had to come and find him. He dipped his head as he leaned forward and sunk his teeth around a large syringe. It was huge, even for Halftail's liking, and he was sure that he wasn't supposed to question it. He had hoped that he would have gotten used to it by now, but it hadn't happened yet. Birchfoot came over to Halftail and invited him to sit down.

Halftail reluctantly obeyed and thrust his foreleg toward Birchfoot. Birchfoot took it in firm paws and Halftail was glad that he didn't have to do this for himself anymore. The needle invaded his vein and he grumbled with his eyes squeezed shut. Once the burning feeling was over, Halftail held his breath. He was expecting the twitches, shakes, nausea, and convulsions that always came after the fact, but after a few heartbeats, nothing happened.

“Birchfoot," he murmured in surprise as he glanced over at the healer.

Birchfoot had thrown away the syringe and shot a sideways glance at Halftail. "Yes, Halftail."

Halftail looked at his paws, expecting to see something, but he didn't. He tilted his head slightly with his whiskers tipping. "I'm not convulsing or doing anything that I normally do," he breathed as surprise made his eyes gleam.

Birchfoot waltzed over to the half tailed tom and touched his nose to his ear. Halftail sucked in a deep breath that seemed to rattle around in his chest. "Then consider this session a success," he whispered in Halftail's ear.

Halftail couldn't believe that this time nothing terrible had happened. He was more than used to the convulsions that made his body screech and muscles involuntary pull and wretch. His eyes would roll back and that was usually when he lost consciousness. In that time he would get brief flashbacks of his life. None of them were that great, unless it was with Bine. It was usually when they first met and she was sharp tongued and harsh. As she got to know him, she relaxed and those were the memories that he would have rather experienced. "M-May I go now," he stammered with his head lowered into his excitedly shaking shoulders.

Birchfoot laughed. He was as giddy as Halftail that the medication didn't throw him into another fit. "Of course you may, Halftail. Just continue to take it easy even though I think that this time you don't have to worry," he offered as he pointed a paw at the door.

Halftail bunched his shoulders as he plunged forward. His ears twitched as he turned as lifted his head toward the front wall. He saw the picture of his mate, Bine, hanging on the broad wall. He stalked over toward it and looked up with glassy eyes. "It actually worked this time, Bine," he announced as if she was standing right in front of him. "I don't know if it will work forever but it will work for now. You'd be so proud of Birchfoot and how much he's grown as a healer. He's teaching our son so much. He misses you too, I know that he does. I think that we all do but I'm the only one that speaks too you. I know that you miss me, right?"

“Halftail! Why are you talking to Bine's picture," called Kanan as he came over. He tilted his head, kneeling down and opening up Halftail's eyes a bit. "You just got your medication. Are you hallucinating? Delirious? 

Halftail arched his back in anger as he swiped a sheathed paw at Kanan's chest. He pushed him backwards and Kanan fell on his back. "No, I'm not delirious! I'm just speaking to Bine," he declared, quickly realizing that that just made him sound crazy. He didn't need to freak Kanan out anymore than he already had. "I just wanted to tell her that I think the medication is working! I didn't go into a fit this time."

Kanan stretched out a hand and stroked Halftail between the ears. "That's great, Halftail! Is this a one time thing or will this happen all the time?"

Halftail shrugged his broad shoulders. "I have no idea. I'm thinking that it's just a one time thing with this batch, but I can only hope it will translate into the other batches."

Kanan smiled before he threw his hand sideways. "Would you like to help me move some supplies in the cargo bay," he asked, sounding more like an order than a request. Halftail knew that Kanan didn't like to order him around since he saw them as equals, but sometimes he had to. 

Halftail dipped his head. "Sure. Let me get Molis and Swifttail. I'm sure that they wouldn't mind helping," he meowed as he bounded down the hallway. He found the two of them playing a game of checkers. He never understood that game, but Swifttail very much seemed to enjoyed it and so did Molis. Sometimes Halftail was worried that Swifttail would rather have Molis as a father than him.

“Hey, can you two help me out with something," he asked with his tail kinked over his back and the tip twitching. 

Molis lifted his head from the game and leaped from the seat. He landed a pace from Halftail and dipped his head. "No problem. I've been itchin' for something important to do."

Halftail had to admit that he felt the same way. Sometimes it felt like things were constantly swarming around him, and other days it seemed like everything was at a stand still. He wasn't sure which one he liked more, but he would have appreciated it more if it was just in the middle. 

He led them to the hanger where Kanan was waiting for them. He was moving some large supply bins with the force while Swifttail pitched in to help him. Halftail decided that he would help Molis and they would just push the bins with their heads. He grunted a bit in the effort and Molis growled. He had no idea what was in this box, but it sure was heavy.

“Move them to the corner," ordered Kanan as he pointed to where he wanted them. 

Molis then reared on his hind legs and managed a firmer grip on the boxes from up above. He half led, half pushed the boxes where Kanan had pointed. Halftail pushed from below, but he felt as if his whole body was screeching in protest. It had been a long time since he had done manual labor such as this and he realized how out of shape he really was. He wasn't as lean as he once had been and he wasn't working out nearly as much as he used to. He had never been overly skinny, but he didn't have this large of a stomach either.

“Stop," ordered Molis as he looked down to Halftail. "Halftail, are you listening to me?"

Halftail shook his head to clear it. "Er, sorry, Molis. I guess I was just daydreaming," he told him as he took a step back with Molis darting to his side. Halftail lifted a paw and began to use the force. He lifted the box with the force and set it down on the other few boxes. Their box was by far the heaviest and even with the force, Halftail couldn't help but be tired.

Molis gave a firm nod before he pushed his head against Halftail's shoulder. "Come on! There are a few more boxes," he nearly cheered as he scampered forward on heavy paws.

Halftail sighed heavily as he followed the Anooba. They stopped by yet another box and began to push it with their head and shoulders. They pushed off the ground with their hind legs as they struggled to move it. Halftail realized that they all seemed rather heavy. "Hey, Kanan, what are in these crates?"

Kanan looked up from what he was doing and allowed Swifttail to lift the box with the force by himself. Kanan raised a hand to his beard and stroked it thoughtfully. "Weapons I believe." Halftail gave him a look and Kanan crossed his arms. "I don't particularly like it either, but we still have to make a living, Halftail."

Halftail grunted tersely but didn't say anything more. He pushed his head back against the crate and shoved so hard that his front paws lifted up from the ground. Molis was right beside him and Halftail knew it would be a lot easier to lift with the force, but he had asked Molis down here so he couldn't just leave him with nothing to do.

Swifttail seemed to see their struggle and he abandoned Kanan to go and help his father. He squeezed in between the two males and grunted with effort as he pushed. Halftail looked over and noticed how braced and strong Swifttail's shoulders were. Actually, his whole body was pure muscle. He doubted if Swifttail had an ounce of fat on him. The tom was strong and determined in anything that he did, even if it was helping out with boring chores.

They pushed the box to the corner and the two toms raised their paws to place it on a box that Kanan had stacked. Halftail looked around and gave a proud nod. He then watched with amusement in his eyes as Swifttail leaped forward into a playful crouch. "Now there's a lot more room for Keen and I to do some Jedi training," he declared as he jabbed a paw furiously against the ground.

Halftail rolled his eyes as he strode toward Swifttail and pushed a paw against his shoulder. Swifttail staggered, but didn't roll over. Instead, he leaped over Halftail's back and thrust a hind leg against Halftail's flank. Halftail wasn't expecting the blow and staggered under it. Swifttail took the chance to sink his teeth into Halftail's scruff and thrust him against the ground hard. Halftail's paws darted upward as the world spun a bit in front of him.

Molis and Kanan laughed from the background with Halftail more angry than amused. He darted to his paws and glared at Swifttail. "Swifttail," he growled sternly with his teeth baring. "Now is not the time to be playing."

Swifttail sat with his head lowered into his shoulders in embarrassment. "Gee, I'm sorry, Dad. I was just practicing some battle moves. You always liked to play fight with me before," he pointed out with darkening eyes.

Halftail growled, unsure why he was so angry at Swifttail. He knew that everyone was stretched thin, so he was going to chalk it up to that. He twitched his mangled tail tip before turning and clambering up the stairs to get back into the Ghost's living area. Swifttail didn't try to follow him and he was grateful. 

He leaped onto the couch and yawned, front paws stretched in front of him. He just needed a little time to himself and a little time to make sure that the medicine had run it's course. He closed his eyes and drifted off.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

“Halftail. Halftail. Halftail, wake up."

Halftail mumbled as he lifted his head tiredly. His eyes took a second to focus, and when they did, he was surprised to see Sabine standing in front of him. She smiled warmly and ran her fingers through his fur, just behind the ears, where he liked it. "Halftail, I need you to come with me. There's someone who wants to see you," she whispered in his ear.

Halftail was only half processing what was happening. In a sort of daze, he rose to his paws and leaped from the couch. He followed Sabine into another ship. He was a bit surprised as to where she was taking him, but he wasn't about to ask. He followed her into the belly of the ship where the smell of ammunition and month old food made his nose wrinkle in disgust.

Sabine headed into another room and came back with a very small tom cat. He looked exactly like a cat that Halftail hadn't seen in a very long time, Sorrelspeck. She didn't recognize the tom at all, but his memory wasn't the greatest. He narrowed his eyes slightly and threw his shoulders forward to make sure that this tom knew not to mess with him. 

Sabine waved a hand at the tom with extremely long whiskers. "Halftail, this is Oakwhisker. Oakwhisker, this is Halftail," introduced Sabine.

Oakwhisker lifted a paw to shake it with Halftail's paw. Halftail blinked his eyes and thought about refusing it. However, that would be very rude and Oakwhisker didn't appear to be a threat. He stifled a sigh as he reached out a paw and shook it with Oakwhisker's. "What can I do for you, Oakwhisker," he inquired.

Oakwhisker looked at Halftail curiously, gulping apprehensively. “I hear that you can tell me about someone that I haven't seen in a long time."

That wasn't exactly one of Halftail's powers. However, he wasn't about to shoo Oakwhisker away with at least hearing him out. "Er, maybe. Who are you looking for?" Inside, Halftail knew, he just knew who Oakwhisker was talking about.

Oakwhisker lifted his head so that his eyes shone. "I'm looking for a she-cat named Sorrel."

Halftail felt his chest seem to tighten until he couldn't breathe. He hung his head and his tail drooped. He didn't want to be the one to tell him this, but apparently StarBound had to keep punishing him and they had found yet another way to do so. "I hate to be the one to tell you this, Oakwhisker, but she's not here," he confessed.

Oakwhisker just shrugged as if it wasn't anything. "Oh, well if you see her again can you tell her that Oakwhisker is looking for her."

Halftail wasn't sure if he was just stupid or if he didn't want to believe the obvious. He extended his claws and worked them on the ground. "No, Oakwhisker. She's more than just gone away. She's dead." His voice was dryer than he would have liked, but he couldn't help that. 

He watched Oakwhisker’s face fall and his strangely long whiskers drop against the ground. He hung his head and he let out a low moan. "H-How," he stammered.

Halftail's tail tip twitched. "She died in an explosion brought on by those stupid TIE fighters," he spat as his lip curled in disgust. "But she died a hero. She saved my son. If she wouldn't have been there then my son would have surely been killed." He wasn't sure if that was going to make Oakwhisker feel any better, but he had least had to try.

Oakwhisker crumpled down with his paws suddenly thrusting over his face. "No. No. No. NO!" Rage made his claws curl into his muzzle until blood trickled out. 

Halftail kneeled down and tried to ignore the fact that Sabine was staring down at them. "How were you related to her, Oakwhisker,” he asked, trying to draw his attention back to the present.

Oakwhisker looked up with beads of blood still falling from his muzzle. He reluctantly sat up with his shoulders braced. "She was my sister," he answered darkly. "I was supposed to protect her and I didn't. I should have done more."

Halftail knew that feeling only too well. He knew that usually wasn't the case. You just felt that way. "I'm sure that there was nothing that you could do. Besides, if you wouldn't have been separated, then she wouldn't have found her way here. She was a blessing to my crew."

“And how would you guess that," Oakwhisker quipped with slightly bared teeth.

Halftail turned his muzzle up so that he was taller than Oakwhisker. "For starters, she saved my son. For another, she made a huge impact on one member of our crew especially."

Oakwhisker knew what that meant. Surprise shone in his eyes and even a bit of grief in his eyes. "W-Who," stammered Oakwhisker.

Halftail was sure that this cat wouldn't appreciate him sharing this information, but it wasn't like it was a major secret. Everyone on board had known how he had felt about Sorrel. "His name is Birchfoot. He fell in love with her and he took her death the hardest. I'm sorry for your loss Oakwhisker."

Oakwhisker didn't say anything. Instead, he hung his head with tears beginning to fall from his eyes land on his quivering whiskers. Halftail couldn't take his grief. He felt bad enough for Sorrelspeck's death. She had been a wonderful cat and had taught him so much. "Oh, and I hope that you don't mind, but I gave Sorrel a warrior's name," he meowed before he could leave.

Oakwhisker lifted his head and surprise showed in his eyes. "Y-You did? Really? What was her name," he asked in a quaking voice.

“Sorrelspeck," he answered.

“Sorrelspeck," echoed Oakwhisker as he dipped his head. "I like that. Thank you, Halftail."

Halftail dipped his head before he strode and left. This wasn't something that he wanted to do, ever. It was hard enough to comfort his own crew, let alone the brother of a crew member that had been killed. And worse, Sorrelspeck had died to protect his son. If Sorrelspeck hadn't stepped in, then Swifttail would have died and she would still be alive. He wasn't sure what was worse. He would forever be thankful, but that didn't mean that he had some regrets about the situation.

He made his way back into the ship and he stopped at the kitchen. He sat with his shoulders forced forward and his breathing ragged. That had been one of the hardest things that he had to do since he found himself as a member of the Ghost—besides losing his mate.

“Halftail, may I come in?"

Rage exploded in Halftail as he whipped around to see Sabine standing at the entrance. She rarely asked permission, so he knew that she was already feeling bad about this. "What the heck was that about," he seethed with saliva dripping from his teeth.

Sabine took a step backwards. She expected anger, but now she was actually afraid of Halftail. "What do you mean?"

Halftail lashed his tail against the ground and tried desperately to ignore the throbbing pain that he felt because of it. Sabine didn't get it; she didn't understand. "You made me speak to that cat, Oakwhisker, when you knew well what he wanted! You were her companion. Why didn't you stand up to him? It was hard enough losing Sorrelspeck without forcing me to tell her brother what had happened!”

“I didn't know that you felt that strongly about her," confessed Sabine in a small voice.

Halftail twitched his ears. "I didn't feel that strongly about her. She didn't talk to me a lot, but she was apart of this crew and she saved my son. Also, I don't want Birchfoot knowing about this. He's had a hard enough time letting her go without all of this added to it. I can't have that cat contacting me or anyone else on this ship. That would kill him, Sabine. That would destroy Birchfoot." He tried to keep his voice as low as possible so that he didn't cause a ruckus that would send Birchfoot into the room. That would make a bad situation worse.

Sabine shook her head madly. She didn't know how to answer Halftail. She didn't want to make Birchfoot feel worse or bring up bad memories for Halftail. "I just thought that he should hear it from our leader."

“Leader," snorted Halftail. That was just amusing to think about him being a leader. "Yeah, sure." He turned his back on her and imagined Sorrelspeck standing in front of him now. Her eyes would be as round as moons and she would probably wonder why he was so ashamed of her, when really, it was the opposite. He had been so proud of her, but he hadn't wanted to remember her. He knew if he did, he would just look at Swifttail and see that he should have been there to protect him and he wasn't. So, Sorrelspeck and done it and he knew how that had worked out. “Get out of here, Sabine. I want to be alone."

She obviously knew better than to argue. She took a step back and left, the sound of her boots radiating through the hall. Halftail set his jaw and tried not to feel guilty for being that harsh. He would have wanted to know what Sabine had said to Oakwhisker; It may have made more sense for him to just tell Oakwhisker about it himself.

“Hey, what was that about," asked Birchfoot as he suddenly limped in. Despite him being almost half of Halftail's age, he seemed older and stiffer than he walked. His hind leg dragged uselessly behind him and Halftail thought that he saw Birchfoot's face twist in pain.

Halftail sighed, not wanting to answer him. "Oh, it was just about something fish-brained," he answered, praying to no end that Birchfoot believed him.

The healer lashed his tail against the ground as he sat down beside Halftail. He narrowed his eyes at his leader and slightly bared his teeth. "Don't lie to me. I heard the whole thing. It helps when my room is the closest here," he pointed out with an edge to his voice.

And Halftail hadn't been speaking that softly. It was clear that Birchfoot had heard absolutely everything. "Er, great. Then you knew it was about Sorrelspeck?"

Birchfoot hung his head before nodding. "Yeah, I know. I also know that her brother came here and you had to tell him what had happened." His eyes hardened as he forced himself to look Halftail square in the eyes. "Don't blame yourself, Halftail. I wasn't your fault."

Halftail rolled his eyes. Not Birchfoot too. "If I had been there then I could have saved Swifttail and Sorrelspeck wouldn't have needed to," he argued defensively.

The fur along Birchfoot's spine stood on end as he continued to face his leader. "And what would have happened to Swifttail? He would have been without a father. How would that have helped him, losing a mother and a father," reported Birchfoot.

Halftail curled his mangled tail around his paws and wrinkled his nose up at Birchfoot. "You never make things easy for me, do you?"

“I'm not here to make your life easy. I'm here to make sure that you survive, both emotionally and physically," he answered matter-of-factly.

“Yeah, sure," he muttered as he lifted a paw, licked it, and draped it over his stinging ears.

Birchfoot sighed, a sound to match Halftail's own sighs. "Look, I miss Sorrelspeck, almost as much as you miss Bine. I just can't dwell on her not being here. I just need to sort of act like she is," he explained as he moved his one paw to show his point. "That's how I get through it. Maybe you should try?"

Halftail wasn't sure about that. He still spoke to Bine sometimes in his dreams, but it was never enough. He was sure that Birchfoot had never seen Sorrelspeck. Seeing them almost made it worse since you knew that you couldn't be with them forever. If you didn't see them, it gave you something to look forward to.

“Well, I better go. I have a lot of things I have to get done. I'll see you around," meowed Birchfoot as he hopped forward with a new sense of vigor.

Halftail watched him go, unable to force himself to follow. The floor felt cold against his paws, but he didn't care. Once again, he felt like everything he knew was coming to an end.


	92. Weak and Strong

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Slowly, Bine pulled away and got the serious look on her face. She licked her lips as she looked down, her eyes reflecting the stars in front of her. "You have been troubled, I see," she commented stiffly.
> 
> Halftail tilted his head quizzically. Troubled? He wouldn't say troubled. However, he knew that Bine could see everything. There was no point in lying to her. That was just delaying the inevitable. "Perhaps. What does it matter to you?"
> 
> Bine's eyes flashed as she glared at her mate. Halftail saw the hurt in her eyes as well and instantly knew that he had went too far. He had never treated Bine like that,but he felt so much anger that it was hard to contain. "I mean—“
> 
> Bine lashed her tail to cut him off and Halftail wasn't sure whether or not she was angry or if she was just going to let it go. "No, Halftail. If you don't want my help I don't have to give it. I can't give advice if you won't admit to me that something is wrong," she pointed out coldly.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warning for intravenous injections in the first few paragraphs.

(Moons Later)

Swifttail stood erect with his tail positioned over his back. He leaned forward and his whiskers nearly touched against Ezra's leg. He had tried to halt, but a Stormtrooper shoved him from behind and he hissed as he skipped forward, ignoring the feeling of anger that made his fur prickle along his spine. He muttered something under his breath so that no one could hear him. He didn't want to have to be scolded for his attitude.

There was a gulp from beside him as Keen turned his head to look at his friend, worry shinning in his eyes. "What are they going to do with us," he panicked as he gazed at Swifttail.

Swifttail stretched out his tail and rested it across Keen's shoulders. "It's alright, Keen. No one is going to hurt us, trust me," he growled as he glared up at the Stormtroopers, who were leading them down the halls of the largest ship that Swifttail had ever seen.

It had seemed just a few heartbeats ago that they had been pulled out of hyperspace and forced aboard this ship. Swifttail would have thought that if they had more sense that they would have killed them instead of just bringing them aboard. However, he wasn't in control and he didn't want to be. He probably would have hated what he would have done to himself. 

“Don't worry, I've got captured numerous times," boasted Ezra as he puffed out his chest in pride.

The commander turned to Ezra. "That doesn't exactly instill confidence."

Ezra shook his head in embarrassment. "Well, I've escaped a lot of places as well. Don't worry, this place will be a synch!"

Swifttail rolled his eyes as they made it to the command center. As soon as he saw the commander of the Imperial fleet, he growled. The commander sneered down at Swifttail and motioned to another Stormtrooper. The Stormtrooper kicked his foot against Swifttail's haunches. Swifttail collapsed easily as Keen kneeled down and touched his nose to his ear. Swifttail grumbled as he rushed to his paws and shook his head to clear it.

“What do we have here," he asked as he turned to Ezra, Swifttail, and Keen. He kneeled down and picked up Swifttail by the chin and forced him to look up. Swifttail's lip began to curl in hostile, but he quickly diminished the feeling, allowing it melt inside his heart. He couldn't snap at him or he knew that he would be punished. "I recognize your eyes and your build. Not to mention your attitude. You're Halftail's son."

Swifttail took a step back, ripping his chin away form the Commander. "How do you know my father," he choked out. He knew that his father had been a padawan when he was younger and now he was helping lead a fleet, but it was still strange that he knew who Swifttail was and who his father was.

“I knew him a long time ago," answered the Commanded as he turned to Keen. Keen struggled not to cower as a Stormtrooper placed a blaster against his head. Tears leaped into Keen's eyes and he gulped as if a stone was lodged in his throat. "And who might you be, wolf?"

Keen opened his mouth to answer, but Ezra shot him a glance. His eyes flashed as he looked up at the Commander in defiance. "Zero the Hutt," he answered smartly, with his lip somewhat curling.

The Commander knew that he wasn't going to get anything else out of Keen or Swifttail. He then turned to Ezra and his eyes blazed. "And who are you?"

Ezra pointed his chin up at the commander. "Jabba the Hutt," he answered as he looked down at Keen who gave a tiny snort of laughter.

That was enough for the Commander. He raised his hand, poised to strike, and narrowed his eyes to unforgiving slits. "Take them to their cells, keep them separated from each other." He pointed at Ezra, Swifttail, and Keen as the Stormtroopers ushered them away. Swifttail looked behind him and cold hatred surged through him. He just hoped that they would be able to get out of this one.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Halftail hissed as his needle plunged into his foreleg. He saw the vein pulse as he squeezed his golden liquid into his body. He then heard a knock and nearly ripped the syringe from his foreleg. He gritted his teeth together, pulling the syringe out and pressing his paw against his vein to stop it from bleeding. He lifted his head weakly. "Come in," he muttered sharply.

The door swung open and Halftail saw that it was Kanan. He rolled his eyes as he looked at his friend. "Another dose," Kanan asked as he sat down beside Halftail. "Is there anyway to have an overdose from that stuff?"

Halftail narrowed his eyes as he threw the syringe away, hearing it shatter in the trash receptacle. "I need to take extremely large doses of that. At least, that's what Birchfoot told me," he muttered as he shrugged his shoulders. He limped forward and shook his head to clear it.

Kanan took in the way that Halftail staggered, but he wasn't about to smother him. Halftail knew his limits; he just hoped that he would be ready for this. "Look, something went wrong with the mission. They were pulled out of hyperspace and they were captured. It is decided that you, I, and Rex are going to rescue them." 

Halftail sensed the malice in his voice as he said Rex's name. Halftail wasn't overly fond of the clone trooper either, but he wasn't as angry about this as Kanan seemed to be. "It shouldn't be that bad," assured Halftail as he stretched out, shaking each paw in turn to try and force feeling back into them.

Kanan was suddenly worried about Halftail going on this mission. He didn't appear to be in his prime. "You alright to go? If not I can take Molis or Bluefeather or even Adlerleaf if you prefer it."

Halftail shook his head in frustration. He wasn't about to let Kanan go without him. "I'm fine," he snapped as he gritted his teeth and saliva trickled a bit from his fangs. "Now, let's go."

He darted from the room with Kanan following close behind. They met up with Rex and Rex gave a warm smile. Halftail tried to send him one back, while Kanan's face was as emotionless as ever. "Are you ready for this," asked Rex.

“As ready as we're going to be," answered Halftail before Kanan could say anything to Rex, since he knew that it wasn't going to be pleasant.

Rex nodded and he brought up two Stormtrooper uniforms and handed one to Kanan. Kanan nearly hooted with laughter that Rex wanted him to wear that, but he knew that he had to. Halftail watched as they struggled to get into their uniforms. He just sat there and licked his paw, brining it over his ear. "This is tight everywhere," complained Rex as he sucked in his stomach.

“Well, you are older and have put on some weight," jabbed Kanan as he finished his uniform.

Rex huffed, quickly finishing getting on his uniform. It wasn't long before Adlerleaf and Birchfoot came forward, Birchfoot staggering a bit as he did so. "You three look ready to take on the entire Empire," joked Birchfoot as he took a step forward and touched his nose to Halftail's ear.

Halftail smiled at the healer standing in front of him. "Oh yeah, as long as we don't kill each other first," he hissed, hearing Kanan calling his name. He dipped his head to the two cats before he bustled off after Kanan and Rex.

They boarded their ship and flew to the last known coordinates of the ship that their Padawans had been to. When Halftail looked out of the window, he gasped when he saw the a giant Destroyer in front of them. He gulped as Chopper pushed him out of the way. Halftail fell on his flank, wrinkling his nose and lashing his tail against the ground. "Chopper," he snapped as he rose to his paws and pushed the metal bucket out of the way. Chopper continued to whirl and chirp at him, but Halftail wasn't listening.

“Quiet," snapped Kanan over his shoulder. Halftail hissed at Chopper with his back arched before he whooped and rolled away from Halftail. Halftail rolled his eyes and leaned forward.

Rex was muttering some under his breath about some numbers, but Halftail had no idea what that wasn't about. It wasn't long before they were allowed to dock and Halftail slicked down his fur, attempting to make himself look smaller. "We need to be discrete, got that, Halftail," he asked sternly as if Halftail would blow it all for everyone.

Halftail rolled his eyes as he finished his grooming, thrusting a paw against his nose to brush the fur along his muzzle in the right direction. "Yeah. I got it. I don't start trouble, I just finish it," he snorted as he strode forward with Kanan, Rex, and Chopper following. 

They made their way into the hallway with Kanan taking the lead. He then led them into a sort of elevator. They all squeezed in just as an Imperial officer rushed to force himself in. Everyone held their breath as the officer turned. "You're not looking so good, trooper," he told Rex and Halftail knew that he was talking about how big he was.

Kanan tapped his helmet. "He has hyperspace sickness. I'm taking him in."

The officer just tipped his head. The elevator then opened and the officer stepped out without another word. 

Halftail grumbled as he took a step forward and shook out his fur. He hated being cramped like that. "Nice, Rex, drawing attention to us," grumbled Halftail.

Rex stomped his foot against the ground, almost coming down hard against Halftail's stub of a tail. "I didn't do it on purpose. Hyperspace sickness," he muttered under his breath.

Kanan's eyes glowed in amusement before the door opened and they continued forward.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Swifttail ran his tongue over the bottom of his mouth. He scented troopers bustling all around, but it was so clean that he couldn't scent anything else. He growled to himself as he noticed that the troopers in front of him had his, Ezra's, and Keen's lightsabers. Interest perked in his eyes as he butted his head against Ezra's leg. Ezra muttered to him while Swifttail nodded his nose toward the lightsabers.

Curiosity glowed in Ezra's eyes as he nodded. Swifttail prepared Keen and Keen puffed out his fur. "You know, we're not going to hurt you. I'll even allow my friend here not to eat you." Swifttail bared his teeth with his claws curling into the pads of his paws.

The trooper laughed. "Nice try, kid."

Suddenly, using the force, the lightsabers flew toward them. Swifttail caught his lightsaber in his tail while Keen used his wings. The trooper began shooting at them before they activated their lightsabers and began deflecting the blasts. Keen spread his wings and flew toward the troopers. He knocked one backwards while Ezra took out the other one. Keen snarled at them to keep them from moving.

There was suddenly a thunder of feet and Ezra turned quickly. He shot the stun part of his lightsaber and the two troopers and the puma that he had shot at, crumpled to the ground, groaning and moaning in pain. 

Swifttail leaped forward and tilted his head in surprise. "Dad?"

Shame flared in Ezra's chest. Dad? 

Swifttail darted forward and crouched at Halftail's side. He nudged Halftail's cheek gingerly with his nose and Halftail painfully lifted his head. His paws shook a bit and Swifttail wondered if he was about to have one of his fits. Swifttail grasped Halftail's head and began to run his tongue over Halftail's head, down the back of his neck. Eventually, his father seemed to calm and he let out a breath of relief. Ezra and Keen were trying to wake Kanan and Rex.

“What happened," mumbled Halftail as he raised a paw and pressed it against his eyes, still feeling the jolt of electricity coursing through his body. 

Before Ezra could correct him, Swifttail blurted out. "Ezra hit you with the stun part of his lightsaber, but it's not too bad," he assured softly. Ezra hit him on the back of the head harshly. Swifttail hissed before Kanan and Rex darted to their feet. Halftail was having a bit more problems. 

“That was incredible," gushed Rex as he hit Ezra on the shoulder. "But you should have had that pointed to kill."

Kanan was about to argue it when Keen took a step forward, raising his wings to stop Rex and Kanan from going at it. "We have to leave before they find out that we're here."

“Right," Kanan exclaimed as he realized what Keen was saying was valid. "We have to get the prisoners."

Ezra crossed his arms. "And destroy the ship."

Kanan clenched his fist at his side. "We don't have time for a debate. There was hostages here and we need to rescue them," he pressed firmly.

Keen fluffed out his fur as he shook his head, agreeing with Ezra. "But, if we let the ship go, then we risk it hurting more people. We can't let that happen," he argued, looking from Kanan, to Rex, to Halftail with pleading eyes.

Rex gave a nod. "I agree with them, Kanan. We have to destroy the ship and this is the only way to do it. We need to split up," he told them sternly.

Kanan's mouth dropped open. Who was in charge here? "We can't split up. We're here for the rescue and that's it."

It wasn't long before it was almost a full out duel with Kanan and Rex. Keen pressed his wings over his ears while Halftail and Swifttail frowned, almost looking like the same cat. Eventually, Ezra took a step forward and pushed the two away from each other. "That's it! This is what we're talking about! Why do you think that the three of us took this mission. We were tired of all of the fighting," he nearly screamed as he placed his lightsaber in his belt and pointed to Swifttail and Keen. "We'll rescue the hostages and you destroy the ship, if you can manage that."

He stormed away with Keen and Swifttail following in hot pursuit, snoring about how primitive humans could be. Halftail would have ordinarily scolded him, but that didn't seem right. After all, he wasn't wrong. Halftail sighed. Now he was on Kanan and Rex duty. "You heard Ezra," he growled with his lip curling. "Let's go!"

They followed Halftail, but by now, everyone knew that they were there. Halftail's fur bristled as he continued forward as troopers began to fire at them. Halftail ducked before he drew his lightsaber, readying to make their stand. He deflected as much as he could before he realized that they weren't the best at this in such tight quarters. "I can't see with this," Rex screeched as he pulled off his helmet and threw it. 

Halftail snorted in amusement and used the force to pull the Stormtroopers toward them. Rex fired at them with Kanan helping. Halftail let out a breath of relief. He was still feeling the effects of whatever Ezra had done. He groaned a bit and Kanan looked down at him. "You okay," he asked with deep concern in his eyes.

Halftail's hackles rose. He couldn't show weakness now. "I'm fine," he spat with saliva still dripping from his fangs. The world was starting to go blurry in front of him and his breath became vey labored.

Kanan knew that he wasn't alright, but there wasn't much that they could do. "Come on," he urged as he led Rex and Halftail forward. Rex was falling behind as well, and it wasn't long before they were flanked with more Stormtroopers, many more than they could handle. Rex turned to look at Halftail, with his whiskers crumpled and breathing labored. He knew that there was no way that Halftail could fight anymore. Rex picked up Halftail by the scruff and Halftail was too tired even to argue. He thrust him through the door right as the door was closing, separating Rex from Halftail and Kanan.

Halftail lifted his head and blinked his eyes longingly. "Rex," he rasped, his head falling down, his mouth slightly ajar and struggling to swallow.

“Don't worry, Halftail, we'll get him," assured Kanan, but he knew that Halftail had been through enough. That electricity that pulsed through his body was certainly running him ragged inside. He was pretty sure that he would need some medical attention from Birchfoot for this.

He kneeled down and picked up Halftail. Halftail's head flopped sideways with his breathing harsh in his chest. Kanan carried him to the ship and noticed that Swifttail, Keen, and Ezra were already there with Chopper hooting in glee at seeing them. Swifttail's demeanor changed as he looked at his father. "What's wrong with him," fretted Swifttail as he looked at Kanan.

Kanan set Halftail down and Halftail blinked his eyes rapidly. "It's the electric shock." He noticed Ezra's face void of all color and he quickly rushed to explain. "It wasn't your fault, Ezra. You didn't know. He'll be okay, but it takes his body a long time to recuperate. Just give him time."

Ezra nodded as he saw Swifttail touch his nose to his father's ear as he tried to comfort him. Kanan then rushed to the door. "Where are you going," asked Keen as he tilted his head, standing almost guarding over Halftail's body.

Kanan sighed heavily. "We don't leave anyone behind, Keen." He then motioned to Ezra. "Leave as soon as I do. We'll find another way."

Ezra was about to argue when Kanan bolted. Swifttail then lowered over his father and breathed against his ear. "It's okay, Dad. Just start talking."

Talking was the last thing that Halftail wanted to happen. Halftail gasped as tiredness rushed through him. Unconsciousness pulled at his fur as everything went black.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Halftail looked around at where he had just woken up. He appeared to be walking on the sky with stars shimmering underneath him and a moon to his right side. He breathed heavily, padding forward, feeling all of his worries rolling over his shoulders. His eyes glowed and he continued.

“Halftail?"

Halftail turned his head and blinked his eyes in surprise. He tilted his head when he heard the voice. He allowed a purr to roll in his throat as he saw the beautiful form of his mate striding toward him. "Bine," he exclaimed as he leaped forward, nearly plowing into her.

She laughed lightly as Halftail pressed his nose against Bine's cheek and purred noisily. It was so loud that he could barely hear what Bine was saying. "You're fur's gotten coarser," she observed as she ran a tail along the side of his flank.

Halftail pulled from Bine so that he could stare into her beautiful, intelligent eyes. "Yeah, being on the run kind is a little more important than the state of my pelt."

Bine's eyes glowed in mischief as she pressed against his side, running her tail over his tail and tickling the stub with the gentlest of touches. "I think it makes you look rugged," she breathed as she licked Halftail's ear and felt him almost melt against her. "But, I'm unfortunately not here to flirt."

Halftail's eyes turned downcast. "Well, we have a little time. Can we do it a bit more," he basically begged. 

Slowly, Bine pulled away and got the serious look on her face. She licked her lips as she looked down, her eyes reflecting the stars in front of her. "You have been troubled, I see," she commented stiffly.

Halftail tilted his head quizzically. Troubled? He wouldn't say troubled. However, he knew that Bine could see everything. There was no point in lying to her. That was just delaying the inevitable. "Perhaps. What does it matter to you?"

Bine's eyes flashed as she glared at her mate. Halftail saw the hurt in her eyes as well and instantly knew that he had went too far. He had never treated Bine like that,but he felt so much anger that it was hard to contain. "I mean—“

Bine lashed her tail to cut him off and Halftail wasn't sure whether or not she was angry or if she was just going to let it go. "No, Halftail. If you don't want my help I don't have to give it. I can't give advice if you won't admit to me that something is wrong," she pointed out coldly.

Her voice was cold and void of all emotion that made Halftail's heart crackle in his chest. He hadn't meant to offend her at all. He had just wanted to let out some anger and that was clearly not the way to do it. "Bine, I'm sorry," he exclaimed as he surged forward, reaching out a paw toward her.

Bine flinched and pulled away from her mate, his paw slipping through nothing. Bine turned back with her eyes downcast and radiating hurt. "May StarBound light your path," she croaked as she turned and strode into the darkness.

“No, Bine," he cried out as he reared on his hind legs, pawing toward her. However, she didn't show any signs of coming back. His eyes flashed in hurt of his own before he crumpled to his paws and his vision went white.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

“Bine, no. Come back! BINE!"

“Easy," chided Birchfoot as he leaned forward and pressed his paw on one side of Halftail's shoulder, struggling to keep him pinned down.

Halftail's other paw lifted with his claws jutting out. He thrust it against Birchfoot's shoulder and Birchfoot gasped in agony as he leaped back, blood falling onto the ground. The moans from Birchfoot seemed to snap Halftail out of his own anger. "Birchfoot," he rasped in surprise. "I'm so sorry!"

The lame healer rose to his paws and grunted as he limped forward, now favoring not only his hind leg, but his shoulder as well. He forced his eyes to remain bright so that Halftail didn't realize how much pain he was actually in. "It's fine, Halftail," assured Birchfoot as he ran his nose against Halftail's ear in an effort to comfort him.

Halftail's eyes were still wild and he recognized the room that Birchfoot used at his den. The smell of herbs was pungent in the air and he wondered what Birchfoot had been working on. "What is going on," mumbled Halftail as he looked around. "How did I get here?"

“Well, you stopped the ship and got Rex back but you passed out. Whatever Ezra shot you with, messed you up pretty good. Surprised you didn't convulse right then and there. I certainly commend you for not," he praised before he turned to his stores, knocking over some glass bottles in the process. He swore under his breath as he picked them up and put them back. "Kanan brought you here and I've been watching over you for the day.”

Halftail gave a tiny nod. "Thank you," he rasped as Birchfoot came back with something for him to drink. Halftail took it reluctantly and tipped the bottle so that the liquid would roll out. He began gulping it down before he made a face. Birchfoot purred and took it. "What is that?"

Birchfoot set the bottle aside before he turned to Halftail. "Just something to relax those muscles. We don't need a fit now, do we?" Halftail gave a pathetic shake of his head and Birchfoot couldn't help but purr. He began to rearrange his stores and pick up dusty herbs. He let out a few coughs that jolted Halftail from his vision. "Birchfoot, could I ask your advice on something?"

Birchfoot's eyes glowed. Not many sought anything from him, despite him being a pretty gifted healer. "Sure, anything," he meowed as he hopped over. 

Halftail then noticed how deep the scratch that he had inflicted on Birchfoot went. Birchfoot was casually licking his shoulder to stop the blood from coating his dusty fur. It didn’t stop Halftail from feeling a pang of guilt. "I had a vision and I saw my mate in it," he confessed with his head bowed from where he was sleeping. He didn't want to confess this to her, yet he was.

Birchfoot's whiskers twitched before he raised a paw to settle them. He was not the one to come to about anything having to do with mates. "Oh," he asked casually. "What did she have to say?"

Halftail shrugged nonchalantly. He was trying to pretend that it wasn't a big deal, but he knew that he and Bine saw it differently. "She made some observations that were true about me and I snapped at her," he confessed as he fumbled with his paws in front of his chest. "I told her that she didn't care about me."

Birchfoot bit his lip. "Yikes! I assume that that didn't go well." He knew from his own experiences with his mother and father that yelling anything along the lines of that didn't help. It just made the other extremely defensive. 

“Yeah, it didn't. I tried to apologize, but we didn't leave on the right paw, and now I'm not sure what to do," he growled to himself. He was so angry at himself for what he had said to her. He only saw her once in a blue moon and he didn't want to spend that time arguing or being angry with her. He knew that he wasn't the easiest cat to get along with and that didn't make it any easier. He loved Bine more than anything, but lately he seemed to had a lousy way of showing it.

Birchfoot leaned forward so that he could whisper in Halftail’s ear. "Love is complicated from what I've learned. You're going to have fights, apparently even when you're dead. You need to make up with her, but don't just allow her to forgive you. Explain why," he urged.

“Since when did you get so good with this sort of thing," wondered Halftail. He was expecting Birchfoot to just sit there and listen, not actually give advice.

Birchfoot shrugged his shoulders tightly. "When you're a healer, you pick up on things," he pointed out as he rose to his paws and realized that he couldn't allow his shoulder to just seep like this. Clearly, he needed herbs of his own. He began to make a poultice and Halftail cringed as Birchfoot smeared the poultice onto his shoulder, stingy leaves clotted in his claws.

“Is this the kind of advice you'd give yourself about Sorrelspeck," he pressed as he turned sideways to get into a more comfortable position. He didn't dare get up, since he feared falling flat on his face. He still wasn't steady on his paws. 

Birchfoot stopped dead with his ears plastered against his head. He limped over to Halftail and fixed him with a stern gaze. "I have no idea. I never had a chance to figure that out," he confessed with his ears plastered against his head.

Halftail gave a tiny nod as Birchfoot limped backwards as the door opened. It revealed Swifttail and Keen. They came up to Birchfoot and whispered something to him before he waved a paw in Halftail's direction. Halftail forced as smile as the two came over, each touching their nose to his ear in turn. "How are you feeling," asked Keen as if he expected Halftail to explode any heartbeat.

“I'm doing much better," Halftail assured as he dipped his head to them. "Thanks to you two. I hear that you helped Ezra destroy the ship and release the hostages."

Keen blushed while Swifttail shook his head. "We should be thanking you. Without you, I'm not sure that we could have gotten out of it," confessed Swifttail as he stared in admiration at his father. He always admired his father's strength while also being worried about him.

Halftail saw the look of pity in Swifttail's eyes and that was something that he just couldn't tolerate. "I'm sure that you would have," he mumbled before he looked at his paws as Kanan appeared at the door. It was as if a party was going on.

Kanan looked at the group and forced a small smile. "There's food in the kitchen. Everyone else is eating. I suggest you all too," he offered even though his voice didn't allow for arguing. 

Keen, Swifttail, and Birchfoot left rather quickly as Kanan sat down at the base of Halftail's head. "Thanks," panted Halftail as he rolled his eyes. "I can't have Swifttail looking at me like that."

“Like what," pressed Kanan as he rested a hand on top of Halftail's head.

Halftail moved his head around, feeling deep tension in his neck. "Pity," he replied as he curled his lip, shaking his head again. "My son looked at me with pity in his eyes. I don't want to be pitied." He thrust a paw against the ground and his back arched.

Kanan's eyes stretched wide as he allowed Halftail to yowl in rage before he relaxed, despite himself. "He's just worried about you. I doubt that it's exactly pity. He told us the whole way how strong you were."

“Not anymore," choked out Halftail as he ran his paw down his face, feeling it shake in front of him. His throat tightened with an impending sob. "He sees me as weak and there's nothing that I can do about it."

Kanan shook his head. "That's not true, Halftail. You are the most determined Jedi that I’ve ever know, and I know that I don't know a lot, but that’s still a compliment. You have some problems, so? We all do. You are not weak unless you stop trying to show your strength."

Raw determination pulsed behind Halftail's eyes. He ran his tongue along his jaw and fluffed out his fur. He longed to stand, but he was sure that wasn't a good idea. "Does the crew still respect me?"

“They always will," assured Kanan as he patted Halftail's shoulder. "As long as you show them that even in turmoil that you can lead them. They don't need someone to always rush into every battle and never show weakness. They want someone who has those problems and knows how to overcome them."

Halftail's eyes blazed as he looked up at Kanan. "I promise to do better."

Kanan laughed. "Just do everything that you have been doing. Know your limits. If you know that you shouldn't go, tell me. It'll save me the trouble of carrying you later."

Halftail made a face up at him. He may not the the best leader, but he would be the strongest because he had weakness and knew how to overcome it.


	93. Follow the Loth Cat

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “You knew my parents, didn't you," murmured Keen eagerly as he looked up at him.
> 
> Ryder nodded as he sat back, stroking his beard gingerly. "Yes, yes I did know your parents. They were the bravest wolves that I've ever met. Fighting for the cause." He then looked to Ezra. "And your parents were the same way, minus the wolf part."
> 
> “So, they're alive, right," pressed Keen with eager eyes.
> 
> Ryder suddenly looked down as his shoulders sagged. Halftail frowned as he caught Kanan's eye. They were going to find out what happened now and there would be nothing that Halftail or Kanan could do to save them from it.

Halftail stretched out his paw across the board as he moved one of the pieces after much consideration. He then smiled as he looked at the cat across from him. Birchfoot then moved one of his pawns and smiled back to him, a look of challenge in his eyes.

Once a week—or sometimes every night—Halftail and Birchfoot would play a game of chess. It was something that would relax both of them when everyone else was asleep. Birchfoot didn't sleep much because of the cramping in his injured hind leg and Halftail had nightmares that woke him almost every hour on the hour. So, chess was a nice way of relaxing about everything around them. Also, it was nice just to spend some time with one of his oldest friends now.

Suddenly, there was a cry as both Keen and Ezra came forward. Ezra suddenly stepped on Birchfoot's leg and Birchfoot gasped as he leaped backwards, hissing in agony. Keen then slipped on the chess board and it soared and slammed right into Halftail's head. Halftail gasped in pain as he fell nearly sideways, landing on the ground with his mouth partially open.

Ezra spun a bit as he took in the chaos. "I'm sorry. I...um....I didn't mean to."

Kanan kneeled down and gingerly touched Birchfoot's leg. Birchfoot hissed, pulling his leg toward him, shaking his head limply. “I'm okay. I'm fine," he rasped painfully. 

Halftail then managed to haul himself to his paws. Kanan's face swam in front of him as he shook his head to clear it. "Great Forcr that hurt, but it's okay, Ezra. I just hope that you two have a very good reason from bolting in here and probably waking up the entire crew," he grumbled as he came over to Birchfoot.

Ezra nodded madly as he gripped Keen's shoulders, almost hoping that he would egg him on. "I saw my parents. We saw our parents!"

“Are you sure," muttered Birchfoot as he kicked out his hind leg in an effort to straighten it out. "I know that sometimes things can get a little strange in dreams. I've dreamed of those that I have lost, but that doesn't mean that they're really there."

Keen turned on him with his wings nearly spread in defiance. “But, I saw them too! They were in prison or something like that. We know what we saw."

“You have to believe us," pleaded Ezra as he fixed Hera and Kanan with pleading eyes.

Halftail sighed with his shoulders tensing. "I think that it's time to show them what we know."

“What do you know," asked Keen cautiously.

Birchfoot forced himself to his paws with his leg nearly stiff as a board behind him. "Follow me," he urged as he limped forward with the rest of the group following.

They made their way into a room, tucking in close, closing the door behind them as thousands of planets showed from a hologram. "These are all of the Imperial prisons on numerous planets. There's no way of knowing which one that they're in, but we know that we're in one of them," explained Halftail as he watched Keen looking intently at each one, even though they looked the exact same. 

“So, there's no way that we can find them," asked Keen with his ears folded against his head and his eyes round.

Kanan shook his head. "I'm afraid not. Not this way."

Keen lowered his wings and dragged them forward. He made his way out with Ezra following, both looking downcast.

“Game night isn't seeming so fun anymore, is it," commented Birchfoot as he continued to massage his hind leg with his other hind leg.

Halftail looked in the direction that they had went, hearing them go to the one place that they had escaped. "Give them a little bit. I'm sure that we'll be able to help them, somehow."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The next day Keen and Ezra were in the top of the Ghost where they usually hid out. They were looking at the picture of Keen’s and Ezra's parents. Keen whimpered as he rested his head on Ezra's thigh. Ezra ran his fingers through Keen's short fur. "Don't worry. We'll find them, Keen."

“Keen, Ezra, get down here!"

Keen leaped down first with Ezra following. They strode forward and tilted their heads as Halftail, Birchfoot, Hera, and Kanan stood over a screen with names and pictures blacked out.

“What's this," asked Keen as he tilted his head once more in the other direction. 

“This is a list of all of the escapes at one of the prisons. It happened the other day and we're thinking that your parents were among there," explained Halftail. 

Ezra narrowed his eyes. "They're just numbers and the pictures are black. How can we tell who they are?”

“You're going to have to use the force to do this," explained Kanan as he lifted his hand, letting out a deep breath. "I'll help you."

Halftail did the same to Keen, having him raise his paw and breathe normally. "Just concentrate and you'll be able to do it as soon as Ezra is finished, okay?"

Once Ezra found his parents, Keen did the same and found his. Keen and Ezra exchanged an excited glance as they nearly bounced up and down. "Lothal! That's why we saw the cat there! We have to go to Lothal! Come on, Keen," called Ezra as he darted forward and into their room.

Everyone else bounded after him since they were running madly. "I need my helmet," exclaimed Ezra as he threw things around as he looked for it.

“Everything okay," asked Swifttail as he had Adlerleaf came out of another room, looking at Ezra and Keen in worry.

Halftail turned on them and smiled. "Yes, everything is okay," reassured Halftail. "We're just working through somethings right now."

“You know, there is a blockade around Lothal," pointed out Bluefeather as she looked at her nephew fondly. 

Sabine tilted her head. "You know, I think that they're pulling up. I heard it over the speakers."

“Then we really have to go! I can't find my stupid helmet," snapped Ezra as he hit his foot against the wall in sheer agitation.

Kanan then came in and stretched out the helmet at him. "I know that you have to go. But, that doesn't mean that you have to go alone."

Ezra took the helmet as they all headed back to the cockpit. It was certainly tight and Halftail felt his stomach churn slightly as he thought about following a vision of Ezra and Keen. He believed them, but it was going to be difficult. 

“Wait, do you see that," Adlerleaf suddenly announced. "I mean hear it? I can hear chatter all around."

“Chatter," echoed Ezra. "What do you mean chatter?"

Sabine's eyes widened slightly when she spoke. "Doesn't the Empire always pull out before they have a major assault."

“Dad, look up," suggested Swifttail with his ears twitching and eyes looking upward.

Halftail did the same as he gulped. Imperial ships flew over just as Hera turned the ship. 'Tell Zeb and Chopper to get back here. I'm going to land."

They landed rather quickly when shots rang out. Halftail gripped his lightsaber as he emerged with Swifttail and Keen following. They began to deflect the blaster fire while they darted forward and behind some cargo. 

Zeb and Chopper came out, firing as well. Blaster fire suddenly came from more than one direction and Halftail turned, continuing to deflect the fire. 

“This is really turning into one of our better days," joked Halftail as he continued to deflect the fire, catching one trooper in the shoulder.

Swifttail continued to fight, sighing heavily. "Well, it seems that things always start at Lothal and end everywhere else. Of course we're at Lothal."

Keen suddenly let out a snarl as he leaped forward, forgoing his lightsaber. He darted forward with his wings suddenly spread. "Keen," wailed Halftail.

But Keen wasn't listening. He flew through the air and snarled as his paws thrust against one trooper's chest. The trooper fell to the ground before Keen sunk his teeth into the trooper's neck. The trooper’s scream was abruptly cut off when Keen nicked the life giving artery and blood gushed out.

He then ducked another rain of blaster fire, darting forward once more. He thrust out his wing and sliced it under another trooper's legs. He leaped onto him as the trooper tried to punch him. Keen sunk his claws into his shoulders before he moved for his neck against. He grasped his neck and shoved his skull against the ground until his helmet rolled off. Once he bashed his skull in and he stopped moving, he sat up and sighed heavily. 

“Wow, that's violent," whispered Swifttail to his father. 

There was a sudden activation of lightsabers as the two Inquisitors stood. They grinned at Keen and Ezra as they darted forward.

“No! Keen! Stop," roared Halftail just as the giant hanger doors closed so that neither of them could harm the other.

Ezra began to punch the door in frustration. Halftail and Kanan darted forward before things could get any worse between any of them. "Ezra, you need to stop."

“No! I need to find my parents. You don't understand! Neither of you do," screamed Ezra as he whirled on Halftail and Kanan with Keen snarling, his lips peeled back in a snarl.

Halftail faced Keen sternly as Kanan spoke. "You're right. I don't understand and neither does Halftail. We never knew our parents. We don't know how you feel."

Keen sighed as he looked down, licking the salty blood from his mouth. "I'm sorry."

“It's alright," chided Halftail gently. "I know that this is hard. We just need to keep our heads and try another way."

Zeb bounded over with Chopper following. "Okay, well, we need to figure out where to go, like now! They're coming again," exclaimed Zeb.

Swifttail darted forward with his lightsaber whirling as he tried to deflect the blaster fire. "Run, I'll cover you!"

They obeyed as they surged forward on frantic paws. They made their way in and Kanan looked to Halftail, Keen, and Ezra. "To the Phantom! I have an idea."

Halftail obeyed as he practically dragged Keen forward. The four made their way into the Phantom with them ejecting themselves from the Ghost itself. 

They seemed to enter an intense firing match that Halftail would have liked to avoid. But, they didn't have that luxury. 

“Kanan, you steer this bunker and I'll fire," offered Halftail as he nearly reached across Kanan in an effort to try and help him. It probably did little to no good, but he managed to hit a few TIE Fighters.

“Does this mean that we have to go back," asked Keen crestfallen.

“No," answered Hera over the comm. "You complete your mission. That's an order. Ezra, Keen, I hope you find what you're looking for."

“You and me both," murmured Kanan as he headed deeper into Lothal and began to fly low so that no one would be able to pick them up on their scanners. “Now, we can't spend too much time with a large assault like that. I hope you're ready to really use your Jedi powers."

Keen lowered into a crouch as he wiggled his haunches. "I'm ready! I'm ready! I've been training for moons with Swifttail on this."

Halftail couldn’t help but purr as he set his head on his paws, hoping to doze off a little bit before they landed. 

He had no such luck. 

They landed rather quickly and Halftail was jolted awake by Keen's tail tickling his nose. Halftail sneezed and Keen jumped.

“What's the big idea," grumbled Halftail.

Keen tucked his tail between his legs. "Er, sorry," apologized Keen with flickering eyes. "But, I'm kind of excited."

“Don't let it cloud your judgement, young one," chided Halftail as he rose to his paws, shaking out his flank.

The Phantom then opened and the four walked out. Halftail’s eyes struggled to adjust to the brightness that shone around him, illuminating the grasslands in a dizzying display.

The group started down the streets cautiously, not wanting anyone to come near them. Halftail and Keen took the front and looked around, making sure that no Stormtroopers were around. Luckily, they hadn't landed and started to attack everything yet. They still had a little time.

They made their way to Ezra’s and Keen's old home. However, it was destroyed by the time that they had gotten there. Keen plastered his ears against his head as he came forward. He lowered his head and let out a vacant howl of grief. 

“Keen, I'm so sorry. Do you have anything that you have to gather," offered Halftail as he saw Keen's face fall, body quaking in sadness.

Keen shook his head. "No. I wasn't much for keeping things. I just can't believe that it's all gone. I used to play hide and seek there all the time."

Ezra kneeled down beside Keen and grasped his scruff in an angry first. His attention then turned a small Lothal cat. It had large ears and a pretty, puffy tail. Halftail heard the cat purring a bit and he could understand what the cat was saying.

It padded toward them and tipped it's head up at Halftail. "Follow me," it whispered to Halftail before it turned and leaped onto a trash can. It looked back at Halftail and then leaped back.

“It wants us to follow him," meowed Halftail as he padded forward.

Kanan came over to him in surprise. "And how do you know?"

“I'm a puma. I speak any cat language. This cat told me to follow him and I can tell that it's not a trap," explained Halftail. Ezra and Keen flew over them, following the cat before Halftail and Kanan could even think about following him.

Halftail rolled his eyes with his claws extended. "Great StarBound why is it always us who goes on the chases," he growled as he rose to his paws and leaped forward and onto the building, shaking out his flank.

Kanan leaped onto the roof beside him. They darted forward, leaping over walls and onto higher buildings frantically. He suddenly skidded to a halt as he heard a whimpering noise that he knew belonged to Keen. 

He looked around madly as he tried to figure out where Keen was. He followed the whimpers as he came over to the building and saw Keen dangling by one of his wings by a pole. He whimpered as he saw Halftail standing on the edge of the roof. "Halftail, help," pleaded Keen.

Halftail leaned forward with his claws gripping the edge. "It's okay. I'm right here. Just keep looking up." He managed to sink his teeth into Keen's scruff, gingerly pulling him up with some effort. Keen was almost as big as Halftail now and carrying him like this was getting harder and harder.

He dragged Keen onto the roof and he set him down. "Are you okay? That could have been very bad."

“I'm okay," Keen barked as he moved his wing timidly, feeling around for any breaks. "It just hurts a little."

Halftail rested his paw against Keen's wing ever so gently. Keen winced and Halftail sighed. "It's dislocated. I'm going to pop it back in and then we'll join Ezra and Kanan, but no flying, alright?"

Keen nodded, letting out a long breath as he prepared for the pain. Halftail leaned forward, paws positioned on either side of Keen’s wing bone and rocked a little in place. "One. Two!" He then popped it back into place and Keen wailed. "Three. All done. Okay?"

“Fine," answered Keen as he shook his head before he butted his head against Halftail's shoulders. "Let's go. I don't want Ezra to find my parents without me."

They streaked forward as they leaped to the next few buildings, Keen grunting every time he landed. They leaped from a window to the ground as they teamed back up with Ezra and Kanan.

“Sorry, minor injury," Halftail explained as Keen grimaced at the reminder.

Ezra looked around. "We lost the Lothal cat, but I can track it," he reassured as Keen came up to him, licking his hand excitedly.

Kanan's eyes widened in surprise and pride. "You can track and form a bond with a cat from a distance like that?That's pretty advanced with the force."

“No, not with the force. I placed a tracker on the cat," argued Ezra as he lifted the other half of the tracking device. "See?”

“Clever," purred Halftail proudly he bounded forward, paws thrust against the ground. "Let's go before it starts to get dark and we can't see our whiskers in front of our faces. Or before the Stormtroopers come down here."

Everyone agreed quickly and they darted forward and into the Phantom. Ezra attached the tracker to the Phantom and they took to the sky again. They traveled to the outskirts of Lothal. Even Keen and Ezra didn't know where they were.

But, they touched down when the tracker told them to. They left the Phantom and made their way into the outskirts. 

Suddenly, blaster fire rang out. Halftail leaped back and pushed the rest of them back against a rock. More shots were fired and rocks showered over him.

“Ezra, what are you dong," gasped Kanan as he saw his Padawan coming forward.

Ezra stepped right into the line of fire, but there was no fire. "We're not part of the Empire. We just want to speak with you. Your cat told us to follow him."

“Now he's going to think that we're nuts," muttered Kanan as he shook his head gravely.

Suddenly, the fire actually stopped. Halftail peeked around the corner and saw a man stepping out. Keen rushed out next to Ezra as they gazed up at him.

“Ezra and Keen?”

“You know him," whispered Halftail as he came up to Keen's side.

Keen scrunched up his face as he squinted, trying to make things out. "I believe so. I just can't remember his name or where I knew him from. But, I know him! I think that we can trust him."

“Think that we can trust him," echoed Kanan as he walked briskly past them as the man began to come down the rocks around them. "That's comforting."

He came over to them and nodded to them. "I'm Ryder and this is Loik." He motioned to his cat.

“I'm Kanan and this is Halftail, seeing as you already know Ezra and Keen. Sorry to intrude, but we felt like we had to come here," Kanan tried to explain. They couldn't come right out and say that they saw a vision to lead them there. That would make them seem crazy.

Ryder nodded as he motioned to his tent that seemed to be his house. "Come in. We have much to discuss," he breathed as Loik purred and followed him.

The rest of the group followed just as the sun went down. Ryder lit a candle that seemed to illuminate everything around them. Loik began to roll on the floor with a dead mouse that he had seemed to have caught years ago. But, the scent of meat was better than nothing.

“You knew my parents, didn't you," murmured Keen eagerly as he looked up at him.

Ryder nodded as he sat back, stroking his beard gingerly. "Yes, yes I did know your parents. They were the bravest wolves that I've ever met. Fighting for the cause." He then looked to Ezra. "And your parents were the same way, minus the wolf part."

“So, they're alive, right," pressed Keen with eager eyes.

Ryder suddenly looked down as his shoulders sagged. Halftail frowned as he caught Kanan's eye. They were going to find out what happened now and there would be nothing that Halftail or Kanan could do to save them from it.

“They heard you two in that message that you sent. They were all so proud of both of you. That's when we had the idea of the escape. They planned it and we pulled it off. But, they stayed behind so that everyone else could leave and live. I left and..." He trailed off as Keen let out a whimper. "They didn't make it."

Keen shook his head. "No. No," he whimpered with tears starting to show in his eyes. "You're lying! You're lying to me," screamed Keen, back arching and fur bristling along his spine to make himself seem twice as large as he usually was.

“Keen, he's not," chided Halftail as he gently as he could muster. Keen was enraged and didn't need to speak to Ryder like that, but he was grieving and Halftail could more than understand the pain he was going through. He had felt the same when he had lost his Master and Bine.

Keen then turned and sniffed as he began to sob, a paw drawn over his face. Halftail came over and touched his nose to his. "It's alright, Keen. It's going to be okay," he told him gently.

Keen then turned to Ezra and shoved his head against Ezra's chest. Ezra wrapped his arms around Keen's neck and held him close to him, now crying into Keen's fur. 

Halftail leaped up beside Kanan and Kanan looked to him. "I don't know what to do."

“You never really know. You can do just what you think as you try to comfort him," explained Halftail as he shook his head slowly. "At least that's what I figured out." 

Keen suddenly pulled away from Ezra, shaking his head ever so slightly. He then looked to Halftail, as if asking permission for something that Halftail didn't know. Before he could speak, Keen stormed from the tent with Ezra following soon after him.

“Should one of you go after either of them," asked Ryder hesitantly. 

Halftail shook his head. "It's better to let them be right now. They honestly thought that they were alive," murmured Halftail as he arched his back in a stretch. "Do you mind if we stay here for the night?"

“Not at all. It's not just all that comfortable."

“I'm used to it," muttered Halftail as he stretched out across the ground and drifted off into a fitful sleep.


	94. Signal of Hope

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Keen gulped as he lowered his head even more into his shoulders with panic showing on his face. "I don't know if I can do this, Halftail."
> 
> Halftail snapped himself out of his trance as he turned to face Keen. The pup's eyes were round like moons and his breathing was heavy and erratic. Halftail stretched up a paw and grasped his shoulder comfortingly. "You can do this, Keen. You don't give yourself enough credit. You're a Jedi! Through the force you can do anything that you set your mind to."

Halftail let out a groan as he slid his needle into his foreleg. He groaned as he watched the needle empty all of the contents of the syringe. He squeezed his eyes shut and swayed slightly as he thrust the needle from his foreleg, his mouth gaping open ever so slightly. He then sat back and thrust the needle aside, breathing heavily with his eyes shifting purposely away from it.

He felt someone kneel beside him and grasp his shoulder. He looked up and sighed. "Halftail, you okay? Was that dose not right? I might not have done it right.”

“It's fine," Halftail reassured with a slight flick of his paw, sighing slightly when Kanan grasped his paw to steady it. He held Halftail tightly, pulling him close. "Just a side effect. It's nothing major."

“Nothing major. Major would involve something like this, I would think. I really need to speak to Birchfoot about these side effects," Kanan muttered mostly to himself as he worked his fingers through Halftail's fur on his head as he tried to ease Halftail's side effects.

Eventually Halftail relaxed and was able to focus on things in front of him. He let out a sigh of relief as Kanan helped him to his unsteady paws. "Are you going to be up to this mission? Because if not I can do it myself and you can wait here. It's not a big deal," reassured Kanan with his hand still placed on Halftail's shoulder.

Halftail shrugged it off hotly. "I'm fine, Kanan. I don't know how many times we've been over this. It's the side effects, but I can handle this. Now, where's Ezra and Keen? They kept watch all night."

There was a suddenly a hum of a transmission going off. Halftail twitched his ears as Kanan reluctantly left his side and went to the transmission. "Spector here."

“Kanan, how are you and Ezra, Halftail, and Keen?"

Kanan looked over to Halftail as he limped into view. "We're fine, Hera. Came into a little snag with their parents, but we'll tell you that when we get back. Do you need something?"

“There are supplies that are going to be delivered to Lothal. We need you to make sure that they get to where they need to go. Can you do that?”

Halftail dipped his head. "No problem. Spector out."

The transmission fizzed out and died before Kanan turned back to Halftail. "One more time: are you sure that you can make this happen."

“Without a doubt. I'm a Jedi. I can handle this, now let's go," he murmured as he strode from the tent, the hot Lothal air washing over him and making it a little difficult to breathe. He panted slightly and shook his head, striding forward, snorting as he saw Ezra and Keen sitting alone on the edge of the cliff. They appeared to be talking to each other softly, so Halftail couldn't hear.

As he drew closer, he cleared his throat. They turned to him and Halftail dipped his head. "I'm afraid that we have a mission. I wish it wasn't so soon, but duty calls."

“What do we need to do," asked Keen robotically. 

Kanan came over and extended Ezra's helmet toward him. "We're going to rescue some supplies that Lothal desperately needs. We just need to make sure the Empire doesn't stand in our way too much."

“Now, Keen and I will stay further back while Kanan and Ezra stay by the new rebel. We don't want to be spotted, Keen, so don’t fly too high," he told them all as he felt a slight change as half of his face went slack. He shook his head to clear it as he continued. "Anyway, are we ready?"

Kanan then turned to them with his eyes narrowed. "Let's get going before we're missed too much," he told them as he turned to Ryder. "Are you sure you don't want to come to get back into the fight?"

“This is your fight now. I can't go back to prison, but I can wish you luck," Ryder told them with a respectful bow of his head.

“Can we borrow your speeder? It'll look more authentic."

“Sure, go ahead. Just bring it back when you're done."

Kanan nodded thankfully as he climbed onto the speeder with Ezra and Halftail behind him. Keen decided to fly, even though his wing was still pretty testy due to dislocating it the day before.

They traveled across Lothal to the capital. Halftail wasn't looking forward to this mission at all, but at least it was a mission. The more missions they had, the more occupied they were, and the more that they didn't think of their losses these past few years.

“Keen, come on," murmured Halftail as he nudged Keen once he landed. "We'll hide here and we can still see and hear most of what's going on. When Kanan needs us, he'll drum his fingers against his thigh and we'll know when to strike."

“Got it," barked Keen as he pelted forward with Halftail at his side. They ducked down with their heads lowered into their shoulders. "Who is the special rebel that they're sending?"

“I don't know. We're going to have to wait to find out," hissed Halftail over to him as he nudged Keen so that he had to be a little more pressed against the cargo. 

They waited for what felt like forever, watching a women come out and talk to Ezra and Kanan. Ezra didn't seem to like her if his narrowed eyes and set jaw was anything to go by, but Kanan didn't seem to have any problems with her. They joined some Stormtroopers and Keen's fur stood up along his spine.

Halftail nearly shoved his muzzle into the ground. "Get down! The last thing we need is for someone to see us," he growled, his tail tip flicking in agitation.

“Sorry," puffed Keen as he looked at his paws. "I'm off my game."

Halftail thought about quipping back, but knew that that wasn't a good idea. Best not kick Keen when he was down. He had just found out that he had lost everything that had once mattered to him and he wasn't getting it back. The last thing that he needed was more stress in his life. 

Halftail listened to them talk in front of him before he jumped as he saw three giant AT-AT walkers approaching. They were massive with their blasters seemingly pointed right at Halftail and Keen. Keen stretched up a paw and nudged Halftail. "Halftail."

“Those are going to make it nearly impossible to accomplish this mission," he breathed, half to himself.

Keen gulped as he lowered his head even more into his shoulders with panic showing on his face. "I don't know if I can do this, Halftail."

Halftail snapped himself out of his trance as he turned to face Keen. The pup's eyes were round like moons and his breathing was heavy and erratic. Halftail stretched up a paw and grasped his shoulder comfortingly. "You can do this, Keen. You don't give yourself enough credit. You're a Jedi! Through the force you can do anything that you set your mind to."

Keen smiled gratefully before he caught sight of Kanan drumming his fingers against his thigh. "We have to go!"

“Alright, follow my lead," whispered Halftail as he crept forward with Keen following close behind. They ducked in front of two cargo supply boxes that Kanan and Ezra were pushing. They stayed as pressed against them as possible so that the Stormtroopers didn't know that they were there.

As soon as they were in, they took to two separate ways and Halftail shook out his flank. "There, part one accomplished," he meowed before he made his way to the front with Keen following close behind. 

“Keen," Ezra exclaimed as the wolf leaped forward and into Ezra's arms. If Halftail didn't know any better he would have thought that they hadn't seen each other in years.

Halftail dipped his head as he came forward, sitting right by Kanan. Kanan stretched out his hand and scratched him behind the ears comfortingly. "This is Halftail, I'm Kanan, and that's Ezra and Keen," introduced Kanan with a slight smile.

“I'm Leia. It's a pleasure to meet all of you," she murmured as she looked down at Halftail. Halftail looked back up at her, wondering what Leia thought about him.

Kanan then fell backwards. "Now, we need to get a plan. Whoever thought of this one didn't think it through very well."

“That would have been me," confessed Leia. "I vastly underestimated the Empire."

“Well, we just need a new plan, then. Can't be that hard to whip something out. We've done so with less," pointed out Halftail as he shook out his fur.

There was suddenly a beeping sound from Ezra's comm. Ezra lifted his comm at Chopper's beeps. "Okay, we got it." Ezra then came up to look at his Master and Halftail. "Chopper said that we have to land. Something's happening."

As Ryder's post came int view, Halftail immediately let out a growl. "Great, this doesn't seem like it's going to be difficult today."

Kanan suddenly turned to Halftail before he clicked his fingers to Keen. Keen bounded over and stopped in front of Kanan. "Okay, Ezra, you need to place this muzzle on Keen and I'll put this on Halftail."

Kanan brought the muzzle up to Keen, but Keen instantly snarled and Kanan drew back, stunned. "Keen," Kanan growled sternly.

Halftail was about to say something, but Ezra took the muzzle. "I got it, Kanan. Don't worry, he'll listen to me." He then showed Keen the muzzle. "It's okay. As soon as we can I'll take it off."

Keen seemed to realize how important this was as Ezra placed the collar around his neck and then clamped the muzzle firmly around his face. He tightened it while Keen tried to draw away, lifting his paw to attempt to pull it from his face. "Too tight?" Keen shook his head, nearly hitting Halftail in the head with the muzzle. "Okay, good."

Kanan then began to tighten the muzzle around Halftail's face. "I give you props. I wouldn't let anyone put a collar, leash, or muzzle around me," confessed Kanan as he finished Halftail's muzzle.

“It's alright. A little hard to breathe and to talk, but I can manage," he reassured with a wink.

Kanan laughed good naturally, looking over to everyone gathered. "Now, everyone, follow my lead," urged Kanan as he gripped Halftail's lead in a tight grasp and headed forward with Leia after him, Ezra with Keen bringing up the rear.

They made their way out into the open and Halftail made a spectacle of shaking his head back and forth to try and show some wildness that he still had in him. Kanan yanked hard, but Halftail was expecting it and it barely hurt him at all. He continued to thrash, snarling as they continued forward. 

“Where did you get those things and what are those things," asked one Stormtrooper.

“Dinner," Kanan replied as Keen yanked at Ezra's lead as if he didn't like the idea of being eaten. "Found them when salvaging. Thought that they'd make very good pets and then dinner."

The Stormtrooper shrugged, seeming to watch Halftail and Keen with more attention. "Very well. Why have you brought the Princess here?"

“Showing her where refuges have lived," explained Kanan.

Leia then looked over to a man that Halftail realized was Ryder. "What are you going to do with him," asked Leia.

“We're going to execute."

Halftail just stood there for a heartbeat before Chopper came up and whirled around, his dome spinning. "You know what that means," Ezra whispered to Keen, even though Keen couldn't speak back. "Hera and Bluefeather!"

The Ghost suddenly came into view, firing as things exploded around them. Halftail lowered down before he yanked the lead from Kanan and nudged Keen forward. Keen looked up at all of the explosions around him, plastering his ears against his head at the noise. If there was one thing that Keen didn't like, it was explosions. 

The Ghost landed as more shots continued to ring out. "Are these your friends," asked Leia.

“Yeah, I'm a likable guy," Kanan exclaimed as they bounded over to Ryder. "You're coming with me!"

Halftail turned his head as he saw Molis, Adlerleaf, and Swifttail all shooting at the other troopers. Ryder then grasped Leia and pretended to force her into the Ghost.

“We have this," announced Kanan as they continued forward.

As soon as they neared the Ghost, Zeb darted forward. He slammed Halftail into the ground and Halftail felt the muzzle digging into his mouth. He groaned in pain as black spots clotted around his vision. Keen fell beside him before Swifttail, Adlerleaf, and Molis began to drag Halftail and Keen up the hanger and into the hanger bay.

By the time Halftail's eyes suddenly opened, his back was arching. He foamed slightly at the mouth, but he wasn't a complete loss yet. He gagged on it since the muzzle was making it nearly impossible to breathe at all. His eyes rolled up in his head as his back arched.

“What did you do," gasped Birchfoot as he darted forward, narrowing his eyes up at Zeb.

Zeb lifted his hands. "I didn’t—“

Birchfoot stretched out his paw and checked Halftail's neck for a pulse. When he found that it was sporadic, he turned to Swifttail. "Swifttail, get the syringe by my bed, now!"

Swifttail took off, nearly pushing Adlerleaf right over. Swifttail then came back a few heartbeats later with the syringe held protectively in his mouth. He dropped it at Birchfoot’s paws, watching as Birchfoot plunged it into Halftail's foreleg and injected the liquid into Halftail’s vein. Halftail's body immediately relaxed with his eyes flickering in relief. Birchfoot took off the muzzle and set it aside.

“Thank you," murmured Halftail.

Birchfoot stretched out his paw and helped Halftail to his paws. Halftail sighed in relief as he rose to his paws, staggering slightly. Kanan was at his side in an instant, but Halftail flicked him away with a feeble paw. "I'm alright, Kanan. Just a twitch."

“It could have been much worse than a small twitch," hissed Birchfoot as he limped away, muttering under his breath with his head shaking back and forth. 

Halftail knew that Birchfoot was just worried about him. He wanted to call to him that it wasn't, but clearly thought better of it. He didn't need to add fuel to the fire. He watched the healer go, muttering under his breath as they continued forward.

Halftail then limped forward with everyone else looking at him funny. He was used to the funny looks, but that didn't mean that it got any easier. "Maybe you should rest before we move out," suggested Kanan with the leader’s voice that Keen always said that he had.

“Alright, but I will be very angry if you don't wake me up," Halftail growled tersely as he marched forward and into the cockpit. He could have went into his and Kanan's room, but he was sure that if he did, that Kanan wouldn't wake him up if we could.

Keen watched him go before Bluefeather came up to him with downcast eyes. "Well?"

“They're not coming back, Auntie. They're gone," he confessed.

Bluefeather leaned forward and pulled her nephew to him with her wing, burrowing her muzzle into his neck and and licking his cheek affectionately. "I'm so sorry," she whispered in his ears. 

“I'm okay. I kind of already figured, but I always wanted to have hope," Keen confessed as he drew away from her and smiled. "I think that I just need some time."

“Of course," breathed Bluefeather as she drew away from her nephew to give him some space. "If you need anything, just let me know."

Keen nodded as he took off with Ezra to their usual spot. Swifttail watched them go and he sighed heavily. "I really hope that Keen's alright.”

Swifttail knew better than to go and press Keen for details about what had happened when he didn't want him to. He smiled up to Kanan before he made his way out of the hanger and through the ship to find his mate and hopefully to relax a bit before their battle. 

Kanan spoke softly to Leia before he went into the cockpit to find Halftail dozing in the seat, nearly falling sideways and off of it. Kanan rolled his eyes as he scooped up Halftail and carried him back to their room where it was undoubtedly more comfortable. Halftail murmured a bit in his friend's arm. 

Kanan set Halftail down on their bed before he left the room. He then sat down as the map of what they were looking at showed in front of him. 

Keen and Ezra suddenly came out, looking almost excited. "We're ready," announced Keen proudly with his head lifted and his chest puffed out in pride.

Bluefeather looked at him calmly. "Are you sure, little one? You don't have to if you're not ready."

“I can more than fight. Besides, I think that if Halftail isn't fit to fight that I can take his place, if that's alright," Keen barked bashfully as he looked at his paws.

Molis smiled. "That's very kind of you, Keen. I'm sure that Halftail would more than appreciate that."

Keen furrowed out his wings before he inclined himself forward and looked at the map. "So, what's the plan," he inquired.

“There's two AT-AT walkers and those anti-gravity locks are nearly impossible feat to pull off," confessed Kanan gravely. "I don't think that we can pull this off."

Leia clenched her hand into a fist. "Do you know why there's so much security? Because the Empire doesn't underestimate you. They know that you're good and you've proved that. You can do this."

“Well, we still have our disguises," pointed out Ezra as he looked at his Stormtrooper uniform.

“And we have enough man power to pull this off with the Ghost as air support," added Swifttail thoughtfully.

Adlerleaf purred warmly as she flicked her tail tip. "If we can pull of some of the stuff that we have done before, then we can do this," she reassured. 

“Let's get ready to go," Ryder breathed.

Kanan looked up. "Ryder, are you planning on getting back into the fight?"

“I know how to disable those anti-gravity locks. Now, if I help my only request is that you get me off of Lothal. It's not my home anymore."

Kanan nodded before he looked to his crew. "Let's get ready." He thought about just leaving Halftail there, but he knew that Halftail would not appreciate that whatsoever. He had no choice but to wake him up.

He sighed to himself as he made his way into his room. He saw Halftail slightly sprawled out, mumbling under his breath as he spoke and twitched in his sleep. It worried Kanan about Halftail's health and he was sure these missions were just making a dangerous situation that much worse. But, he couldn't really do anything about it. Halftail was beyond stubborn and trying to isolate him would just make it worse.

“Halftail," he whispered as he grasped Halftail's shoulder and nudged him gently. "Halftail, you told me that you wanted me to wake you up for the mission, but you don’t have to fight.”

Halftail's eye's flickered opened as he yawned. "I'm awake. I'm awake," he whispered to himself with his back arching. "That nap was nice."

“You can take one everyday if you wish. I'll make sure that no one bothers you," Kanan pressed.

Halftail shook his head with his eyes flickering once more. "No thanks. I just needed that after Zeb took a swing at me, but I'm good now. Can we just think about the mission?"

Worry still showed on Kanan's eyes as he rubbed his fingers through Halftail's fur on his shoulders. "Do you ever think about trying a different treatment? Your fits don't seem to be stopping."

“They only happen when I hit my head or anything like that. Fits are going to happen, Kanan. You're starting to sound like Birchfoot," he grumbled as he leaped off of the bed, shaking his head once more.

Kanan stifled a groan as he followed his friend. They quickly suited up and made sure that everyone knew every detail of the plan. The Ghost then touched down and Kanan had Halftail, Keen, and Swifttail hide in a small alcove of the Ghost's hanger so that they could be ready when he needed them.

Halftail twitched his ears as they started to talk, distracting the Stormtroopers from what was going on behind them. As soon as they started to figure it out, Halftail pelted forward with Keen and Swifttail at his side. Halftail launched himself into the air and sunk his claws into a trooper's shoulders, bringing him to the ground easily. Swifttail was there to kick him hard in the head as he was knocked unconscious. 

Keen had taken to helping Ezra as the two took down another trooper. The trooper laid sprawled on the ground before they heard a blast from above.

One of the AT-AT walkers was shooting at the ship that Sabine and Adlerleaf were in. Halftail hissed when he saw the Ghost flying through the air, trying to take down the AT-AT walker. It stumbled, but quickly regained power and began to fire once more.

“We have to stop it once and for all," Halftail growled with his paw immediately grasping his lightsaber. His claws extended as if this would make everything right if he could prove himself.

Kanan nodded in agreement as he joined Halftail. The two darted forward, covered in the dust that was engulfing everything around them. Halftail launched himself in the air with the help of the force and used his lightsaber to slice against one of the AT-AT walker's legs. It staggered slightly before Kanan did the same thing on the other side, being able to slice open the other leg.

The AT-AT walker fell, and this time it didn't get back up. Halftail breathed in relief as he deactivated his lightsaber and sat down slightly. He didn't want to admit that he was tired, but he was more than a little exhausted. He was more tired than he cared to admit.

Swifttail then pelted forward, as quick as a blur, as he stopped beside his father. "That was amazing! How did you do that," he gasped.

Halftail tried to puff out his chest in pride, but it ended up just looking strained and forced. "Just a lot of Jedi training I guess."

Swifttail dipped his head proudly. "Come on. I'm sure that the Ghost has the rest of this under control," he murmured as he bounded forward with his father automatically following.

Everything else was almost a blur for Halftail. The second AT-AT walker was taken down by the Ghost and the other two ships were ready to go. Halftail pelted after Kanan, yawning slightly as he did so. 

“You can't be tired after a little expedition like that," joked Kanan warmly as he ran his fingers through Halftail's fur as they made thier way up one of the ships.

“Yeah, little expedition," echoed Halftail as he continued forward with his claws curling into the ground. He knew that Kanan didn't mean anything by that, but he still felt daggers in his heart at his incompetence.

He marched up the hanger of one of the ships with Kanan following right behind. Ezra and Keen brought up the rear as the back closed behind them. No one asked about Leia, since they knew that she couldn't come with them.

They made their way back to the Ghost and they all conveyed as they purred and joined each other. Swifttail and Halftail bowed their heads and purred together with Keen doing the same as he extended his head forward. 

“I'm sorry about your family, Keen," sympathized Halftail with his eyes flickering downward.

Keen shrugged. "That's alright. It's not your fault." He then sighed and looked up. "Besides, you're my family now. You're all my family and you're all I ever need."


	95. Fears Rise

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Finding a former ally turned traitor is a tough pill for the Ghost crew to swallow.

“Come on, Adlerleaf, you need to take it easy," chided Swifttail as he followed his mate closely, trying to nudge her into a sitting position.

Adlerleaf rolled her eyes. "Swifttail, I'm not due for a little bit. I have some time and I don't need to just lay down useless," she chided as she kinked her tail over her back.

Swifttail didn't look happy about it as Halftail waltzed forward, shaking his head as he went. Adlerleaf then leaped in front of him. "Halftail, please tell your son that I'm fine and that I don't need to rest."

Swifttail then bounded over to his father. "Tell Adlerleaf that she needs to be resting. I want to make sure that our kits are alright."

Halftail hated being in the middle of this, but he had been the overprotective mate not long ago when Swifttail was born. Bine had nearly been driven nuts. "I see both of your points, but Swifttail you need to allow Adlerleaf to make her own decisions."

“But, Dad—“

“No, don't try to argue it. Adlerleaf knows what she can and can't do and she'll let you know. Now, when she's in labor you can call the shots, but not until then," chided Halftail as he licked his son's ear. "Besides, with Bluefeather, Sabine, and Hera gone on their mission we have a little downtime. Maybe you two should use that just to hang out."

“Fine by me. Race you, Swifttail," exclaimed Adlerleaf as she pelted forward, swaying over her ever enlarging belly.

Swifttail curled his lip at his father as he bunched his muscles and forced himself to follow her. Halftail watched them go, shaking his head in amusement at them. He and Bine had been the same way not long ago. Unfortunately, those times were over and he couldn't do much about it anymore. But, it was nice to see the two of them acting like that and so deeply in love.

“Halftail!"

Halftail turned and dipped his head as Molis plodded forward. "Oh, hey, Molis. What are you doing here?"

Molis looked at his paws. "Oh, you know, just hanging out." He sat down and began to scratch behind his ear. "But, I was wondering if you heard from Bluefeather?"

Halftail shook his head. "She's on a covert mission. I doubt that she's going to want to risk any exposure by opening the comms. I'm sure that she's fine, though.”

Molis didn't look convinced in the slightest, but he managed a timid nod. "If you're sure. Can't you reach out with the force or something?"

“That's not how the force works, at least not for me," he grumbled with his tail tip twitching. "But, if you would like I can try and see what happens. I'm not promising anything."

Molis opened his mouth to answer when Birchfoot pelted forward, limping as swiftly as he possibly could. He pushed past Molis and Halftail madly. "Move!"

“What's going on? Birchfoot," called Halftail, but the healer wasn't answering. He was already gone.

Halftail and Molis exchanged a glance before they both pelted forward, trying to ignore the pain that they felt claw in each of their guts. They continued forward with Swifttail bounding forward as well and past his father. 

They continued through the hallway just as Halftail heard Birchfoot's voice. "I need oxygen and blood. She's lost a lot of blood."

“Lost blood," echoed Halftail before the horror set in. "Bluefeather?! Hera!"

He darted toward the room, but Swifttail came up and blocked his father's path with braced shoulders. "I'm sorry, but you can't go in there right now. We need space. Go and wait and I'll tell you when you can come in."

Halftail reluctantly drew backwards with shock showing on his face. Keen came around as well, his eyes flickering in alarm. "What's going on in there?" He suddenly froze as he saw a flash of blue fur. "Bluefeather? Bluefeather!"

He was about to lunge forward when Halftail sunk his teeth into his scruff and yanked him back. "No," he chided somewhat softly.

Keen continued to thrash and fight back. "No! My aunt is in there. I want to see her! Bluefeather," he cried so that everyone in the entire ship could hear.

Panic set inside Halftail. He thrust Keen down and rested his paws on his shoulders as he forced Keen to look up at him. "I can't let you in if you're going to act like this, understand," he growled sternly. He didn't want to terrorize the pup, but he needed Keen to know how serious this situation was.

Keen gulped as he looked up at Halftail, nodding slowly. Halftail let out a sigh. "Good. Now, deep breaths. In through you nose and out through your mouth. When I'm sure that you can compose yourself then I'll let you in, but not before that, understand me?"

Keen nodded once more. He did what Halftail told him and Halftail pressed against him to keep him calm. Molis had drawn toward Keen as well and murmured encouraging words into his ear. He licked him between the ears while Halftail just thought about Bine and Sorrelspeck and how they had died. They didn't need Bluefeather or Hera to join either of them anytime soon. That would probably break the crew even more than they were already broken.

It seemed like forever before the doors opened and Birchfoot stepped out. He looked tired, paws and chest fur stained with blood. “You can come in if you'd like, but slowly and quietly. They're unconscious, but alive."

Keen suddenly pelted forward. Halftail swore under his breath as he forced himself to follow his Padawan. Keen skidded to a halt at his aunt's bedside and looked at her face, burned and covered in an oxygen mask to aid her breathing.

“Bluefeather, can you hear me? It's me, Keen," he croaked as he lifted a paw to grasp at hers.

Halftail came beside him and licked his ear tip. "She can't answer yet, Keen. She's in a really, really deep sleep."

Keen spiraled to face him with his eyes glowing in pure fury. "You don't have to treat me like I'm stupid! I know that she's unconscious," he growled lowly as he turned back to his aunt.

Halftail drew back with his lip curling. Swifttail walked to his father's side and looked up to him. "Leave him be. This is really hard for him."

“He's had to go through so much in his short life. I sure hope that it gets easier for him," breathed Halftail as he watched Keen lean in to rest his head beside Bluefeather's paw. 

“Not if you're his Master," joked Swifttail slyly.

Halftail rolled his eyes as he ignored his son's snide comment and decided that it was best to leave. It was getting a little crowded and hard to breathe. 

He made his way out and passed a very frustrated looking Sabine. He didn't say anything to her, since he guessed that it would probably be best just to give her some space, just like Keen needed right now.

Halftail strode way into the living room, just sitting and thinking about how many they had lost and for what reasons. It seemed that no matter how hard they tried, they just kept failing. There was no hope. No answer to any of it. There was just failure and a lot of it. It frustrated Halftail to no end, but there was nothing that he could do about it.

He let out a low growl as Birchfoot approached with shaking paws. "How are they, really," Halftail asked.

“They'll live, but they're in bad shape. This should. and could, have been avoided if I had to guess," he muttered with his ears shoved forward.

“You can't always prevent it, Birchfoot. You just have to learn how to embrace it," murmured Halftail as he looked to his short tail.

Birchfoot shoved his ears forward. "Yes, I'm well aware. I do hope that you haven't forget how much of a cripple I am."

“A cripple? No, Birchfoot, that's not what I meant at all," argued Halftail in shock. "Besides, I'm more of a cripple than you. I'm reliant on medication just to stay even. I'd say that I'm in worse shape than you."

Birchfoot huffed to himself as he sunk his claws into his pads. "I don't understand why they just won't let us through there?! What's the problem," he hissed.

“I don't know. But, that's what we're going to find out. I'm sure that Kanan will have a plan for this. He always does," assured Halftail as he leaped forward as Birchfoot turned back to the door.

“Kanan," Birchfoot growled under his breath as he left Halftail wondering what he meant by that.

It wasn't long before Kanan came into the room, looking grave. "How are you doing," asked Halftail, leaping onto the couch and arching his back so that Kanan could stroke him. Usually that made him feel a little better.

“I guess as well as I can be." He let out an addible sigh. "Is this what it was like for you and Bine?"

Halftail felt his fur start to bristle so he forced it to lay flat. "A little," he growled sternly. "Although, Bine did end up dying, so I'd say that it was a little different."

Kanan looked like he regretted what he had just said. He rubbed his hands over the short stubble on his chin, nodding slowly. "Yeah, of course. Sorry about that."

“No worries, but it was a little different." He then straightened as he heard everyone murmuring a short distance off. "So, what are you going to do about all of this?"

Kanan clenched his fist, painstakingly forcing himself to relax. "I guess my best bet is to go down there and see if we can do this peacefully. After all, this is what Hera and Bluefeather would have wanted. They're both not too much for fighting."

Halftail let out a nod of agreement. "True, true. Would you mind if I joined you?”

“Not at all. Let's get ready to go while it's still light out," suggested Kanan as he charged forward. 

Halftail then bounded after him, skidding to a halt as Keen suddenly leaped out in front of him. Halftail sunk her claws into the ground and narrowed his eyes as he snorted in almost anger. "Keen!"

“Where are you going," asked Keen.

Halftail stifled a sigh. "Well, we're going down there to see what happened," explained Halftail, wondering if it was the right thing to say.

“Can I come," pleaded Keen as he wagged his tail hopefully.

Halftail shook his head as he now regretted telling him. "Keen, I would bring you if I could, but it's just too dangerous. You can't go."

Keen hung his head as he padded away, curling his claws into the ground as he went. He muttered to himself as he left and Halftail forced himself not to care. He wished that Keen could go, but it wasn't a good idea to have an emotionally unstable pup down there. There would be no diplomacy there.

“Halftail, let's go," called Kanan.

Halftail shook his head to clear it as he turned and pelted forward.

He made his way into the Phantom and lowered down beside Kanan. He sat down and twitched his tail tip over his back. He began to turn on the Phantom before it surged forward. Halftail cast one more glance behind them and let out a deep breath.

“Second thoughts," asked Kanan.

Halftail thought about it momentarily, shaking his head madly. "No, not at all. Just worried about Keen," he confessed as he looked at his paws. "He's so young and to go through everything that he's been through."

“I'm sure that he'll be fine. Although, I do worry about Ezra the same way," pointed out Kanan as he relaxed a little in this ship, sighing slightly.

“You don't have to worry about us."

Halftail spiraled around and gasped when he saw Keen standing there with Sabine at his side. He looked guilty as he frowned. "Keen, what are you doing here?"

“I had to come! I know that you told me that I shouldn't, but I told you that I wanted to come. I want to make them pay for what they did to Bluefeather," exclaimed Keen as he thrust a paw against the ground nosily.

Halftail struggled not to roll his eyes or get exceptionally angry at the pup that stood so brazen in front of him. "Fine, considering that we can't take either of you back, but you better not do this again," hissed Halftail as he turned back to the control panel, struggling not to smile. At least he showed some ambition.

They began to lower down in the planet, landing softly. Keen was about to dart out, but Halftail leaped forward and blocked Keen immediately. "What do you think that you're doing?"

“I'm—“

“Don't answer that," Halftail interrupted. "You're going to stay here with Sabine and I better not see you or there will be consequences."

Keen hung his head, scooting over to nudge Sabine. Sabine scratched Keen between the ears as she looked forward.

Kanan then nudged Halftail as they made their way out of the Phantom. Halftail sunk his claws into the ground as he leaned forward, looking at all of the ships and different weapons all around him.

“This doesn't look good," murmured Kanan.

Halftail twitched his tail tip. "Nope."

“Well, we better get going before anything else happens," Kanan breathed, flicking out his wrist.

Halftail strode forward with Kanan at his side. They crept forward until Kanan decided that they weren't going to sneak around anymore. Unfortunately, Halftail would have preferred to sneak. 

“Just stay by me and don't talk until we need to," urged Kanan. Halftail nodded. He knew that Kanan meant well, but he didn't like being treated like a pet. He followed Kanan as they strode forward with Halftail being silent and looking around, sniffing the air slightly. 

There were whispers around as soldiers began to gaze at them. Halftail was tempted to snarl at them, but Kanan drummed his fingers against his thighs as a silent signal to let it roll off his back. Halftail licked his lips discretely, looking down so that he wouldn't be able to see the others staring and whispering about him.

“What are you doing here," snapped someone before they had made their way too far through the camp.

Halftail plastered his ears against his head, forcing his ears against his head. However, he couldn't speak, so Kanan did instead. "I'm Kanan Jarrus and I'd just like to speak to your leader."

There were a few murmurs as solider stepped forward, gazing at the two of them intently. Halftail then licked his lips and twitched his ears. Something was oddly familiar about it. "Come with me."

Halftail and Kanan continued forward and into a tent. Halftail smelled steaming soup and couldn't help but feel his stomach growl at the prospect of food.

A bowl was placed on a counter as he leaped onto a chair and took to eating it. They didn't have a lot of food like this on the Ghost since there wasn't a lot of room. He took full advantage of this when he could. 

The solider took off his helmet and gazed at Halftail and Kanan, more Kanan than Halftail. "So, what are you two doing here and why is that one pretending that he can't speak?"

“I was wondering the same thing," hissed Halfail as he began to take a drink of something that he wasn't sure what it was. 

Kanan rolled his eyes. "Yeah, excuse Halftail's bedside manner. I'm Kanan by the way, Kanan Jarrus. We are Jedi, but we're not here for trouble."

“Why are you here," asked the Mandalorian. 

“We're here for a truce, an alliance. We want your help and we'd like to be able to travel through this space without fear being shot at," answered Kanan as he began to eat his soup.

However, when he noticed that Halftail had finished his soup he pushed his toward him. "Here, take mine," he offered as Halftail snatched it away and began noisily drinking down the soup. 

“So, why would we help you," asked the solider. "What's in it for us?”

Halftail twitched his tail tip. "How about we start with something simple as your name and we'll go from there," he suggested.

“Rau," answered the man as he looked to Halftail. "My name is Rau. Now try answering my question and I will feel a whole lot better about all this.”

“I know you," breathed Kanan in surprise. "You fought in the Clone Wars. You were one of the best fighters and pilots. Strange turn of events for you."

Rau laughed. "Not really. How about you? Jedi now more hopeless than me."

“We may be hopeless, but at least we know what side we're on," challenged Halftail. The sounds of gasps from outside rose up as another solider came in. 

“There's something going on! Some insurgent or something."

Halftail and Kanan exchanged a fearful glance before following Rau outside the tent. Halftail let out a firm growl as he saw Keen hovering just out of reach of the others with a growl rolling in the back of his throat and eyes narrowed to slits. He kicked out his paw defensively, but Halftail didn't even want to know what would happen if Keen made contact.

“Keen," exclaimed Halftail.

Rau turned to him. "You know this thing?"

“Unfortunately," muttered Hafltail, wanting to sinking his claws into Keen's throat and just squeeze. But, he couldn't do that right now. He was going to have to wait for that.

Keen shook his head as he licked his lips. "But, it wasn't all me," he complained as he lowered onto the ground, standing firm as the men walked around him. "It was Sabine too."

“What," asked Halftail.

Sabine suddenly came forward and faced them, taking off her helmet. She looked at Rau as he came forward, taking his weapon and narrowing his eyes at Sabine. "Now what is a girl like you doing challenging someone like me?"

“I know my clan and I'm going to avenge what you did to my friends," she challenged.

Halftail lifted a paw and thrust them over his eyes as he groaned. "Is this seriously how it's going down? Could this get any worse," he muttered, half to himself.

Keen then stalked forward, letting out a few warning growls to Rau. Rau looked at the pup quizzically until he lifted his blaster and pointed it at Keen. Keen didn't waver, not even a little. He twitched his ear when Sabine nodded to him.

Keen let out a howl as he drew his head backwards. He continued to howl until shots rang out and turned to fierce explosions.

Halftail lowered down in shock until Kanan nudged him with a sharp kick to the haunch. "Let's go!"

Halftail bounded forward as he pelted after Kanan. Keen ceased his howling and turned, taking to the air as they fired behind him. Sabine darted forward as well with the three of them gaining ground together.

“I don't think that this was a good idea," growled Halftail as he ducked as a blast nearly struck his ear.

Keen landed beside Halftail and continued to pick up the pace as he went. "It's probably not a great idea, but it was an idea. Besides, talking wasn't going to get you anywhere."

“And how do you know? We'll never know now," complained Halftail, jumping nearly straight in the air with another blast.

Halftail opened his mouth to called over his shoulder at them until he saw the man continuing straight for him. Halftail picked up the pace once more and darted into the to the Phantom, painfully skidding to a halt before he could slam full force into the opposite wall.

Sabine, Keen, and Kanan followed right behind. Only then were they able to take off. However, something landed on their roof and the entire Phantom rocked under the weight.

“What's that," croaked Sabine.

Keen lifted his wings as he walked through the Phantom. "I can figure it out," he offered, opening the back before Halftail could argue it, and flew out.

Halftail pressed his paw against his eyes and let out a hiss. "I can't understand that pup even a quarter of the time," he confessed, stumbling as he spoke.

There was then a sharp bark as Keen flew through the Phantom with Rau in tow. He thrust the man down and growled with the fur bristling along his spine as he stared at Rau in front of him.

Halftail bounded forward, pressing against his Padawan before he could rip out Rau's throat in a blind rage. Sabine came over as well as the ship was rocked once more, and nearly plummeted from the sky.

“Now what's going on," Halftail muttered.

“They're shooting at us," Kanan called. "And they don't know if he’s on here or not. So, unless you want to go down too, Rau, I suggest that you make that public knowledge."

Rau narrowed his eyes as Keen surged forward, snapping his jaws dangerously close to his throat. Rau fell backwards and Keen continued to press on him and threaten him. 

Rau looked to them as Halftail leaned forward. "You were oncee a trooper of the Republic and I still believe that you are. And if you aren't, then even you wouldn't make this be our death. Help us help others. I know that you can."

Rau just sat there before he lifted his comm to his mouth. "Rau here. Back off of the ship. Just back off of it."

“Are you sure?"

“Yes, just back off!"

The comm went dead before Rau turned back to them. "You may move through the space, but I can't promise you that we are your allies."

Halftail plastered his ears against his head as he took a step back. He continued to look down on him, but he nodded slowly. "I wouldn't expect anything less."

Rau then stood as Keen continued to bark at him. He walked toward the back of the Phantom and leaped out. Keen darted forward and looked down as he saw another ship pick him up. 

Halftail then sighed as he looked to Keen, nodding his head to him, sighing heavily once more. He came to Keen and Keen looked at his paws. "Are you going to punish me?"

“Not this time, but don't do anything like that again," hissed Halftail sternly. "I don't want to have to break in a new apprentice."

Keen's eyes glowed in amusement as Halftail ruffled the fur between his ears. Keen then laughed and danced around a bit, pawing at Halftail as if to invite him to play. Halftail would have liked nothing more, except there was no room and he was exhausted. He nodded to him, an invitation for later, and Keen took it.

It wasn't long before they docked the Phantom to the Ghost. Keen immediately bounded out and Birchfoot was there to meet them. "There you are, Keen! Bluefeather's awake and she's asking for you."

Keen gasped as he turned to look at his Master over his shoulder. Halftail chuckled as he flicked his paw. "Go."

Keen bounded forward while Halftail laughed. Kanan scratched him between the ears. "You did good with that one, Halftail."

“It wasn't just me, but yeah, he is a good pup."


	96. Stories From Beyond

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Adding anyone to the crew can be troublesome at best.

“Hey, I got that!"

Adlerleaf spun and smiled when she saw her mate rapidly approaching her. She released the blanket that she had been dragging and rolled her eyes when Swifttail sunk his teeth into it and tugged it away from her.

“Swifttail, I appreciate it, but I can do it on my own. I'm not due for another moon," pointed out Adlerleaf as she followed her mate, swaying a bit under the weight of her enlarged underbelly when she walked.

Swifttail pulled the blanket to where Bine had given birth to Swifttail and where Adlerleaf wanted to give birth. "I know, but I don't want you to have any extra stress! You deserve to have an easy time and I intend to give that to you."

Swifttail pulled himself close to Adlerleaf and intertwined his tail with hers, pulling her close. "I love you more than anything, Adlerleaf. I'm going to love our kits just as much. I promise to be the best father that I can be."

“I know that you will, Swifttail."

Halftail suddenly came forward and swung his head to the side. "I hate to break this up, but I need you, Swifttail. Ezra has some sort of thing that he needs us to do. You in?"

Swifttail nodded as he licked Adlerleaf on the side of her face. "I'll be fine here. Maybe I can keep Birchfoot company,” she told him.

“I love you," murmured Swifttail before he turned and bounded after his father. The two of them joined each other as Bluefeather, Hera, Ezra, Zeb, Molis, Keen, and Kanan were already waiting for the two of them.

“What's the mission," asked Molis gruffly as he wrinkled his nose slightly and licked his paw, drawing it over his ears. 

Ezra and Keen exchanged a glance. "Well, you're just going to have to see. It's hard to explain," explained Ezra while Keen nodded vigorously in agreement.

Halftail rolled his eyes. Ezra and Keen were sometimes secretive, but this was even a lot for them. "Okay, well, let's get this over with. The sooner we complete this, the sooner we can get back. He gave Swifttail a pointed look and smiled thankfully.

Hera nodded as she took the controls with Bluefeather at her side. Ezra and Keen steered them where they needed to go while Halftail watched Swifttail pace in a tight circle. His ears plastered against his head and Halftail couldn't help but snort in amusement. His son was horrible at hiding his emotions.

“Swifttail, there's nothing to be worried about. We'll be gone a few heartbeats at the most and Adlerleaf isn't due for another moon," he pointed out.

Swifttail spiraled around to face Halftail with his lip curled. "You said it yourself before that anything can happen. She could be early and I don't want to miss anything."

“You won't. I'm sure of it! Besides, Birchfoot is with her and he won't let anything happen to her," Halftail agreed with his whiskers twitching.

Swifttail hung his head as the Ghost touched down. Halftail led Swifttail forward with the rest of the group following. There was whispering behind them as Ezra and Keen pushed to the front. Molis growled when Keen stepped on his paw and Keen smiled shyly.

“We better lead," Ezra suggested.

Halftail gave a small bow and motioned him forward. "Be my quest."

Keen dipped his head in respect as Ezra and him took the lead from Swifttail and Halftail. They emerged from the Ghost and made their way into the hallways of an Imperial Station. The scent of Stormtroopers hung in the air and it made Halftail growl in agitation.

“It better be good, whatever we're coming for," called Zeb from the back. "It's a huge risk coming here!"

Swifttail nodded in quiet agreement as he lowered his head into his shoulders and lashed his tail against the ground. "Yes, we need to hurry." 

They continued on before Hafltail lunged forward and sunk his teeth into his son's scruff. He hauled him behind one of the boxes and faced his son as his son hissed in rage. His eyes narrowed with his ears plastered against his head. "What are you doing?!"

“Fish-brain," spat Halftail in Swifttail's ear. "You're going to get us caught."

Halftail pointed his paw toward a small gathering of Stormtroopers a couple tail-lengths in front of him. Swifttail gulped in embarrassment as Halftail's rolled his eyes and pointed at his chest. "Next time pay attention!" He leaped over his son and lashed his tail against the ground as he looked forward.

The Stormtroopers were talking quietly, but Halftail could manage to pick up a few things that they were whispering about. "They're talking about transporting something,” he whispered.

Suddenly, a box started to open and Halftail nearly leaped back as he saw two creatures that looked a little bit like Zeb came out. Halftail bared his teeth and he nodded to Keen, inviting him to attack.

They surged forward and leaped for the nearest Stormtrooper with Molis and Bluefeather doing the same. Keen knocked the Stormtrooper down as Halftail sunk his teeth into the Stormtrooper's neck and snapped it easily. He let the Stormtrooper fall as he looked to the Lasat almost glaring at him.

She popped Halftail right in the nose. He drew back with his fur bristling along his spine. He bared his pointed teeth at her. "What sort of pet do we have here?"

“Pet," echoed Halftail in indignation as Keen snorted in amusement beside him. He rolled his eyes, since he knew that he wouldn't get anywhere, especially with an elderly creature like her.

Ezra then came forward with Hando at his side. "Things are just getting better and better," grunted Molis as he looked up to Hando.

There was suddenly a clattering of footsteps as Bluefeather leaped forward and lowered down at Halftail's side. "We have to move! There are more Stormtroopers incoming."

There was a low growl from Halftail as he bunched his muscles and pelted forward. "Follow me," he ordered. He heard chattering behind him from Zeb and the other Lasats, but he was barely listening. His goal was just to get them out of this place and everything was starting to blend together. The scents were making it hard to maneuver at all.

“Halftail, where are we going," fretted Keen as he came to a halt beside his mentor.

Halftail was facing numerous hallways and his breathing was heavy. His mind was scrambled and he couldn't focus on anything. He felt like he was outside his body as his body gave a massive twitch. Worry started to fill his thoughts as he worried about having a fit right now.

Halftail heard someone talking to him, but it sounded so far away. He only really focused when someone grasped his shoulders and started to shake him.

He looked up and blinked his eyes up at Kanan. "Halftail!"

“W-What," he mumbled before he gave his head a shake, feeling the rest of his body shaking as well. "I'm sorry. I'm okay," he rasped as he met Kanan's worried eyes.

Kanan shook his head as there were shots from a Stormtrooper behind them. That seemed to wake Halftail up from his muddled thoughts. His eyes widened like moons as he grasped his blaster and began to fire it. His shots were way off, but at least he was shooting. The Lasats were just standing there, idle as ever.

“Let's go," grunted Molis as he pushed his head against Halftail's haunches. Halftail staggered forward and tucked the blaster away on his belt, shaking his head once more.

They rushed toward the Ghost until Halftail halted and saw Keen yelping. "Help! My paw is stuck!"

Halftail groaned in disbelief as he doubled back, ducking under a half fallen crate and sinking his teeth into Keen’s scruff, hauling him forward. Keen whimpered until his paw broke free and he was able to rush to his paws with Halftail right behind.

They soared into the Ghost just as the doors were about to close. Halftail breathed heavily as he lowered down with his head nearly rested on his paws. He rose up to his full height and saw Kanan looking at him intently.

“Birchfoot, now," he ordered as he pointed toward the room, as if Halftail didn't know where it was.

Halftail plastered his ears against his head in embarrassment at being scolded by Kanan in front of everyone. He dragged his paws sullenly as he headed to the healer’s room. He passed Bine's picture and immediately stopped to gaze at her still striking beauty. There was no way that the picture did her true justice, but it did look just like her.

“I know that you would've never treated me that way," Halftail told her as he imagined her standing across from him. "You would've respected me for who I was and what I want. You wouldn't have embarrassed me. I miss you." He then touched his nose to the painting. "And to think that Adlerleaf is going to have kits! I'm going to be a grandfather. That I can't wait for."

He shook his head to clear it as he knocked on the door, knowing that Birchfoot would be able to hear him talking to Bine long before he knocked. He gulped when Birchfoot opened the door and tilted his head curiously as he saw Halftail standing there.

“Oh, Halftail, what can I do for you," he asked nonchalantly. 

Halftail passed by him rather briskly and took his usual seat. "I would think that you would know by now. Why is the only reason that I come here?”

Birchfoot rolled his eyes. "I thought that you might just come for my company, but I guess I'm not that lucky." He hobbled over and took a seat across from him, lifting Halftail's paw to feel his pulse. "Still having issues, I presume?"

Halftail hung his head as he sniffed slightly. "Er, yeah, I guess you could say that," he muttered, remembering his stall in the hallway. "But, if you ask anyone else they'll say that I ruined the mission."

“You did not," chided Birchfoot. "What you have can't be helped and sometimes you have flareups. It just depends on the time and even being prepared can’t be enough all the time."

Halftail lashed his tail against the ground. "I was far from prepared, trust me," he grumbled softly. 

“Okay, maybe so." Birchfoot frowned. "Well, your heartbeat is erratic as I can tell by your pulse." He then looked into Halftail’s eyes. "And your eyes aren't focused. You definitely have the signs of an early fit. Have you been taking your medication?"

“Yes, mother," growled Halftail before he realized who he was talking to. "Sorry, I'm just, you know....agitated and frustrated with all of this."

“It's to be expected. Just please don't take it out on me," muttered Birchfoot as he rested his tail across Halftail's shoulders. "Now, I'm pretty sure that you're on the verge of a fit and a nasty one at that. I think that the best course of action would be to force it out of you and get it over with. This one you're not going to be able to suppress."

Alarm showed on Halftail's face. "Force out a fit? Has that really ever worked for us when we've done it before?"

“It's either in a controlled atmosphere or when you're not expecting it. Your choice," meowed Birchfoot in his usual stern healer tone.

Halftail nodded as he laid on the ground, teeth gritted together. He knew that he would end up there anyway, so it was probably best just to start there. "Alright, get it over with," he growled with his eyes narrowed to slits.

“Very well," answered Birchfoot as he grasped her medicine in his syringe. "I'll inject this at your peak, but you may be out of it for a bit and be sore when you take up. We'll have to wait and see. It's been a while since we tried this. Just try and relax and let it happen."

“Like I have much of a choice," he grunted as he tried to get as comfortable as possible with his eyes closed. Each breath came in a ragged pant, no matter how Halftail tried to calm himself. No matter how many fits Halftail experienced, it never got any easier.

Birchfoot grasped an electo and pressed it against Halftail's skull. Halftail screamed in agony as his back buckled before Birchfoot withdrew it. That was enough to send him over the edge into a massive fit.

His entire body bucked with his head pressed against the ground until his body finally relaxed. Then, his body shook so much that his paw thumped against the wall enough to dislocate his shoulder. His top jaw went one way and his bottom jaw went the other as foam flowed from it. His eyes rolled back in his head while his breathing was sporadic at best. He coughed as he breathed as he lost all feeling as he snapped off a claw.

Birchfoot leaped into action and sunk his teeth into Halftail's head to stop him from shaking so much that he would end up breaking bones and not realize it until he woke up. He took the syringe and thrust the needle into Halftail's paw. He injected it slowly, but it would take a few minutes to really quick in. 

Once it did, Birchfoot drew back and let out a breath of relief. "Thank goodness that's over."

There was then a knock at the door as Kanan showed his face. He smiled as he looked at them and Birchfoot dipped his head. "Greetings, Kanan. May I help you?"

“I was just making sure that he came to see you," answered Kanan as he looked at Halftail sleeping figure on the ground—at least he looked like he was sleeping.

Birchfoot nodded. "Yeah, it's a good thing that you sent him to me. He was on the verge of a fit and I induced it. It should help in the long run."

Kanan looked at him in worry. "Is there anything that I can do?"

“Take him to your room. He'll probably be a lot more comfortable when he wakes up and finds himself there instead of here," Birchfoot answered as he licked his chest fur. "He's going to be in a world a pain when he wakes up."

Meanwhile, in the hanger area, Swifttail and Adlerleaf were purring and joked in amusement to each other.

“That female Lasat makes Zeb bristle, I can tell! He's angrier than a panther who stumbles into a bees' nest," she joked with her eyes glowing.

Swifttail nodded in agreement. "And the way that they don't call him Zeb and are against violence. I have no idea what to think about this except weirdness!"

They laughed to each other before Adlerleaf took a step forward and her face twisted in agony. Her tongue stuck out a bit as her eyes squeezed. 

Swifttail bounded over to Adlerleaf and pressed against her. His eyes filled in fear. "Adlerleaf, what's wrong," he asked her, his voice tight.

“It's nothing," mumbled Adlerleaf as she straightened. She then stumbled and nearly crumpled the rest of the way down.

“Adlerleaf," urged Swifttail as he rested a paw against hers to try and calm her, but he didn't know what was wrong. "What's wrong?"

She continued to pant in pain as Swifttail helped her over to the nest that they had made for her. He helped her lay down as alarm showed on his face. "Adlerleaf, is it the kits?"

Adlerleaf let out a whimper as she turned her head and lifted her back hind leg to reveal blood leaking out. Swifttail gasped as he turned and looked around. "I'll b-be right back," he stammered as he darted forward.

He made his way over to Birchfoot's room, barging past anyone in his path, even forcing Keen to the ground. He emerged and saw Kanan and Birchfoot discussing something over Halftail's sleeping body.

“Swifttail, is everything alright," asked Birchfoot calmly.

Swifttail shook his head. "Something's wrong. Alderleaf is having our kits!"


	97. They’re Here!

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Adlerleaf and Swifttail’s kits are finally here, but will Halftail’s visions come true?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> There are graphic depictions of birth in this chapter.
> 
> I also like to think that the song hymn for the missing by RED perfectly sums up Adlerleaf’s and Swifttail’s relationship, especially in this chapter, so that’s the song I listened to when I wrote this.

“Kits," echoed Birchfoot, his ears ringing. His mouth gaped open in shock as he bounded forward with Swifttail right behind. Kanan thought about following, but he thought better of it. He knew that this was probably as private as private gets.

Birchfoot turned to Swifttail. "Lead the way!"

Swifttail dipped his head as he bounded forward with Birchfoot at his side. They made their way to the hanger and brushed against each other as they ran in the compact hallways. They went to the hanger and Birchfoot saw his sister laying on the blankets, Adlerleaf’s blood soaking them through.

Alarm showed on his face as he arched his neck and looked down at Adlerleaf. "Okay, we're going to have to do this now," he announced as he pressed a paw against his sister's underbelly. She let out a screech of agony at the light touch. "These kits are coming now!"

“No," whimpered Adlerleaf as her eyes stretched wide in pain. "Please."

“I'm sorry, Adlerleaf," chided Birchfoot as he urged her to lay down, even though she was almost laying down anyway. Blood continued to flow from her and her face twisted in agony.

Worry showed deep in Birchfoot's eyes. "Swifttail, I need you to get some water. She's going to need all of her strength."

Swifttail stood rigid in terror, tears pooling in his eyes when he looked at his mate. His lips were dry and he shook as he stood.

“Swifttail," snarled Birchfoot. "Now!"

Swifttail shook his head to break himself from his trance as he turned and bounded forward with his tail trailing against the ground. 

Birchfoot looked to his sister as soon as Swifttail left and grasped her paw tightly with his own. "We're going to get through this, Adlerleaf, but you have to stay with me. You can't give up."

It wasn't long before Swifttail came back with a piece of cloth that he had drenched in water. It would be the best way for Adlerleaf to be able to drink, since she couldn't manage much. He set it down and nudged it toward her muzzle as she gave a few feeble licks.

“Do you need me to do anything else," asked Swifttail.

“Go and get Bluefeather. She might be able to help out with this," Birchfoot replied, stretching and reaching for something for him to do. If he was around Adlerleaf, she was just going to get nervous and she didn't need this right now. She was going to struggle to give birth as it was.

Swifttail gulped, a whimper rolling in his throat as he turned and bounded forward. Birchfoot watched him go as he nudged the water soaked cloth back toward his littermate. She licked at it some more before she let out a choking sound as she arched her back slightly and moaned in agony. 

Birchfoot thrust a paw over his sister to hold her still. "You have to try not to move. You just need to focus."

“I can't do this," whimpered Adlerleaf. "I'm not ready!"

“I'm afraid that it doesn't matter now. These kits are coming whether you like it or not," pointed out Birchfoot gently as he licked her between the ears. 

Adlerleaf gave her head a small shake. "I can't!"

“You have to. Do this for your kits. They're almost ready," reasoned Birchfoot as he looked behind her. A pool of blood was starting to show and he wondered if the kits were even still alive. He couldn't imagine how it would feel if they were stillborn.

Adlerleaf let out a low shriek as she tried to bury her nose into the blankets. Her stomach rippled as Birchfoot pressed a paw gingerly on it. "Okay, the contractions are getting longer and less time between them. At the next one I need you to push with it, alright?"

Adlerleaf didn't answer. Birchfoot sunk his claws gingerly into her shoulder. "You have to, Adlerleaf! You must."

“O-Okay," cried Adlerleaf weakly.

Birchfoot nodded. "Okay, when I say I need you to push." he took in a deep breath. "Now!"

Adlerleaf gritted her teeth as she let out a scream of pain. Birchfoot smiled as he looked down to her. "You're doing great! Just one more!"

Adlerleaf wailed just when Bluefeather and Swifttail emerged. Swifttail nearly darted to her, but Bluefeather blocked his path and shook her head slowly. Swifttail reluctantly stayed where he was and shook in terror.

Eventually, a small kit fell onto the blanket. Birchfoot grasped it quickly and passed it to Blufeather. "You need to lick the fur the wrong way to warm it up. Nick the sac as well so that it can breathe." 

Bluefeather nodded as she grasped the kit and nicked its sac before she started to lap it's fur the wrong way to warm it up. The kit let out a high pitched wail and Bluefeather let out a rumble of amusement. "This one is determined, just like its mother."

Swifttail smiled as he looked at Adlerleaf, but she wasn't moving. She was hardly breathing and she looked to be in a lot of pain. She whimpered slightly as Birchfoot pressed on her underbelly. He made a face as he moved his paw slightly around as he tried to feel how many kits were still inside her.

“There's a lot more kits in there," explained Birchfoot heavily. "You have to help us, Adlerleaf. I can't do the work for you."

Adlerleaf let out a low moan, so Birchfoot thought that she understood. "Okay, we need another big push. Work with me, Adlerleaf! One, two, now!"

Adlerleaf screamed, but it wasn't nearly as loud as before. Her eyes stretched wide in agony as her body started to slightly convulse. She nearly gagged on her own saliva as she desperately tried to push with the contractions. 

Birchfoot purred when he saw the head. "You're doing great! One more big push."

Adlerleaf obliged as the kit fell where the first one had went. Birchfoot picked it up gingerly and nipped the sac around it. He stared to lick it the wrong way, but it remained quiet. Birchfoot began to lick a little harder. "Come on! Cry, little one. Cry!"

The kit finally opened it's mouth and let out a scream. Birchfoot couldn't help but purr once more as he picked up the kit by the scruff and swiveled his head around to face Swifttail. "Here," he mumbled through sticky fur.

Swifttail's eyes widened as he took a step back, shaking his head. "I don't think so."

Birchfoot's eyes hardened. "This kit needs you, Swifttail. Just do what Bluefeather is doing and she'll help you. I need to stay with Adlerleaf and make sure that she keeps pushing."

Swifttail reluctantly inclined his head forward and picked up the lump of fur. He set it on his front paws and held it just like Bluefeather was. The kit continued to cry out, but the love that shone in Swifttail's eyes was definite and pure. This was love and first sight.

Birchfoot's attention was diverted right away as Adlerleaf continued to moan and work her weak claws against the covers. She tried to move, but her body was too heavy. Birchfoot nudged her back down and felt her underbelly. There was at least two more kits in there, if not a third one waiting to be born.

“I know that you're tried, Adlerleaf. But, you need to stay with me. Look at me," growled Birchfoot as Adlerleaf turned her eyes up to him. "You can do this. I'll help you."

Adlerleaf nearly sobbed as the next contraction rippled through her body. Her sweaty fur started to stand on end as Birchfoot positioned himself ready to catch the next kit. It took a lot longer, but the kit finally fell onto the cloth, slicked back blood. He swooped it back up and nipped the sac and it let out a scream the moment that he touched it.

“It's a tough, little one," murmured Bluefeather from where she was still holding the first one. "I can take it."

Birchfoot nodded as he passed the squirming bundle over. Bluefeather started to lap at it as well as the other one. 

Birchfoot turned back to Adlerleaf and touched his to her ear. "We're almost done. Just a few more big pushes." He watched with alarm as she started to shake. It was subtle, but as a healer he noticed it right away.

He didn't say anything, since he didn't want to worry Swifttail. He watched as Adlerleaf pushed with the contraction as if she was getting the hang of it. The kit fell and Birchfoot lifted it. The sac broke as he passed it to Swifttail. He looked overwhelmed for a heartbeat before he forced himself to remain calm and take the kit from Birchfoot.

Birchfoot rested a paw on Adlerleaf's underbelly and felt around. Everything was swollen and bloated with eternal bleeding, but something else was different. He moved to the lower part of her stomach and flinched when he felt yet another kit. He was sure it was the last one, but it was facing the wrong direction. This was going to be difficult for Adlerleaf and for the unborn kit.

“One more," whispered Birchfoot as Adlerleaf's shaking became more noticeable. 

She opened her mouth as it twitched. "I.....c-can't," she stammered.

“Yes, you can. There is a kit still in there that will fight for life. Will you," challenged Birchfoot with his whiskers twitching.

Bluefeather motioned him over as he left his sister begrudgingly. "Hasn't she lost a lot of blood?"

“Yes, but she had to keep fighting. I can deal with that later, but I can't do anything while there are kits inside of her," explained Birchfoot briskly. "If I do, the kit will die."

Bluefeather's eyes flashed as she turned to look at Swifttail. He was still licking at the two kits that he had tucked into his chest fur and between his paws. Bluefeather nodded to Birchfoot as he took the other two kits and pulled them close. He looked at each other them affectionately and nudged each of them.

One was a pure white she-cat that seemed strong as she battered against his lowered muzzle. The other kit was a darker black and dark brown tom. This one appeared strong, but not as loud as his sister. They were both beautiful kits that would one day be just like their mother and father.

“You need to speak to her," urged Bluefeather as she whispered it in Swifttail's ear. "I'm afraid that only you can convince her of this."

Swifttail gulped. "But, what can I possibly do?"

“Just speak to her," answered Bluefeather as she picked up his two kits and looked toward Adlerleaf. "You have to."

Swifttail rose to his paws shakily and tiptoed forward. He looked down at his mate before he lowered down and licked her cheek. "I love you so much and I'm so proud of you! Please, you have to fight for this. There is a little life inside of you that's fighting. It wants you to fight too. I'll fight with you as well."

He grasped her paw and gave it a firm squeeze. Swifttail saw his mate's face twist in unimaginable pain while her entire body nearly buckled. Birchfoot was ready as a tiny kit plopped out. It was half the size of it's smallest littermate and it's pelt was dark brown with some black hints. Birchfoot began to lap at it as it let out a feeble and almost quiet whimper.

Birchfoot pressed his paw against Adlerleaf's stomach before he drew back and smiled. "That's all that there is. Great job, Adlerleaf," he purred.

Adlerleaf smiled weakly. Bluefeather and Birchfoot lifted up the five kits and set them next to Adlerleaf and Swifttail. They tried to nurse, but Birchfoot stopped them. It was all just blood and her kits couldn't drink that. 

Birchfoot couldn't believe the blood that Adlerleaf had lost. There was no way that even a transfusion would help her now. Grief showed in his eyes as he forced himself to look away. He didn't want Swifttail and Adlerleaf to know how nervous and sad that he really was. He couldn't tell them that this was hopeless.

“I think that you should name them," suggested Bluefeather as she caught Birchfoot's eye. She gave a pointed nod, saying that she had seen the look.

Swifttail nodded eagerly. "Yeah! That's a great idea. What do you think that we should name these kits?"

Adlerleaf didn't answer. Her eyes were almost closing as she pressed her muzzle against the ground, breathing heavily.

Swifttail shook his head as he plowed on. "Well, I thought of some names," Swifttail explained as his throat seemed to tighten ever so slightly. He stretched out a paw and touched it to the larger black and brown kit. "Adderfang, I wanted to name him a bit after you. Adder sounds a little close to Adler.”

Adlerleaf let out a gentle breath that ruffled the fur on top of Adderfang's head. "Adderfang. I love it." She shifted as she looked at the long furred white she-kit. "She looks white like snow, like fresh fallen snow."

“Snowfall," agreed Swifttail with a purr. "That's wonderful. And this one Blizzardstorm, because his pelt is white like a blizzard!" He pointed to a fairly small white tom kit that was almost a perfect match to Snowfall, except he had black splotches.

“Blizzardstorm," whimpered Adlerleaf as she struggled to look at the tom. "He's beautiful." Her eyes started to roll back.

Swifttail nudged her roughly until her eyes finally opened. "We have two more kits to name. This one is a she-kit and she's brown and yellow, almost dappled. She looks like a fallen leaf. How about Leafshine?”

“Leafshine," whispered Adlerleaf so quietly that Swifttail could barely hear and he was sitting right there. 

Swifttail picked her up and set her by Snowfall and Blizzardstorm. The last kit was the smallest and nearly as weak as his mother. "Last one."

“He looks like an eagle," pipped in Birchfoot from beside Bluefeather before he could stop himself.

“Eaglefeather," agreed Swifttail as he looked down to Adlerleaf. "Do you like it?"

She didn't answer as her chest just struggled to breathe. There was a whimper deep within her chest with her eyes nearly streaming. "I have to leave you now," she confessed.

Swifttail shook his head madly. That was the first thing that she had said and not repeated in a while. Worry prickled deep within his heart. "No, just hang on. Birchfoot can fix you! I know he can," pleaded Swifttail.

Birchfoot sighed heavily as he took a step forward. He rested his tail across Swifttail's shoulders. "There's nothing that I can do, Swifttail. You need to say goodbye."

“I love you," croaked Adlerleaf quietly. "You’re going to be such an amazing father. Take care of them, my love.”

“Please! Don't leave me. I love you so much! I can't raise them alone," whimpered Swifttail as he grasped Adlerleaf's paw as he leaned forward and allowed her head to rest against his chest. 

They laid like that for a while until he could no longer feel the weak breath stir against his chest fur. He drew away from her and noticed her blank expression. She was no longer breathing. He knew what had happened, but he wouldn't accept it.

“Alderleaf? Adlerleaf! ADLERLEAF!"

The cries grew more desperate as Bluefeather held Birchfoot back so that he didn't rush forward. "I know this is hard for you, but let him grieve. He needs to."

Tears streamed down Swifttail’s face as he pushed his nose against Alderleaf's cheek. He started to sob with his shoulders moving up and down. 

“No! Adlerleaf! No! You can't be gone! No!"


	98. This Can’t Be Happening!

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Loss cuts deep no matter who you are.

Halftail groaned as he felt every fiber of his body yowl in protest when he tried to move. He couldn't even remember where he was, or why he was laying down, or even why he felt like a ton of bricks had fallen on him. All he did know was that he was in pain and he could barely move.

Suddenly, the door swished open as Kanan came in and looked like he had just wrestled with a Sarlac. He sat down on the bed and smiled when he saw Halftail awake. "Hey."

“Hey," murmured Halftail as he tried to get up, only to slip and nearly fell off the bed. Kanan stretched out his hand to stop Halftail from falling forward. "How long have I been out?"

“Just a few hours or so, I'd say. I've been talking to those two Lasats, and can I just say that I needed a break. I thought hiding in here would be safe and it will be perfect if no one messes it up," he whispered to himself as he curled his hand into a fist.

Halftail nodded as he rested his head against Kanan’s knee, hoping that everything would stop spinning around him. "W-What happened," he stammered lazily.

“Birchfoot had to induce a fit. Said that if he didn't, it would come out when you didn't want it to," explained Kanan as he ran his fingers through Halftail's fur between his ears. "It was some fit that you had. Good thing that you didn't have that during a battle."

Halftail nodded in embarrassment. "Er, yeah. So, where is Birchfoot?”

That's when Kanan paused and his whole demeanor changed. The fur along Halftail's spine stood on end as he faced him. "Kanan," he half growled, half spat. "Where is Birchfoot?"

“Adlerleaf went into labor," answered Kanan finally.

Halftail's eyes widened to the size of round moons. "Labor?! But, she's a moon early. She can't be going into labor now!”

“She's not going into labor," corrected Kanan shortly. He cleared his throat as he forced his voice to remain calm and unchanged. "She already had her kits, five of them. But.....”

He trailed off and Halftail didn't need an answer to that. He had seen it before many times; Adlerleaf dead and the reason why. He had warned Swifttail of this, but now that it was already there, it just made everything seem more real.

With numb paws he leaped from the bed, not even sure if he was fully aware of where he was going. He gulped, stalking forward with Kanan following, just to make sure that he didn't end up injuring himself. A shudder passed through him as he went through the hallway and then to the hanger where everything was different.

It smelled of milk and blood, mixed with the sound of murmuring and soft sobs. He continued forward and saw Bluefeather and Birchfoot speaking quietly to each other. Their heads were bowed together and expressions one of grief and fright. They looked over to Swifttail periodically as if they were debating on what to say about him.

Halftail stalked forward and saw his son laying with five kits curled at his underbelly and Adlerleaf beside him. She looked almost frozen and unmoving with her eyes slightly opened and expression blank. There was more blood on the ground than Halftail had ever seen in his worst battle. Grief immediately overwhelmed him.

“Swifttail," he rasped as he came up to his son.

His son looked up and lifted a paw to wipe it under his nose and mop up his eyes. "Oh, hi, Dad," he whimpered, flicking his head over to his kits. "Meet Eaglefeather, Leafshine, Snowfall, Adderfang, and Blizzardstorm."

“They're beautiful," agreed Halftail as he looked over at Adlerleaf, despite himself. "I'm so sorry."

Swifttail started to cry once more as he looked down at his kits. Halftail noticed that Eaglefeather wasn't moving. He looked nearly as stiff as his mother and Halftail reached out to grab him gingerly. The kit didn't move and Halftail couldn't feel any pulse.

“What are you doing," accused Swifttail harshly.

Halftail sighed and shook his head. "He's gone, Swifttail. He's with his mother now."

“No," cried Swifttail weakly.

“There's nothing that you could've done," confessed Bluefeather gently. "It was just his time."

Swifttail pressed against his father and Halftail allowed him to stay there. He licked him between the ears to comfort him, just like he did when he was a young kit. It wasn't really working, but Halftail's presence seemed to make things a little better.

Kanan kneeled down behind them and looked at his fallen crew member with tears in his own eyes. "We can bury them when we land. The Lasats have a new planet in mind that isn't far from here. Once we land and they leave we can bury them there.”

Halftail nodded. "I agree. For now we'll hold a silent vigil, like we did for Sorrelspeck and what you do for anyone who had died in our world," he meowed gently.

There was a quiet murmur of agreement from Bluefeather and Birchfoot as they straightened and leaned against each other. However, when they took the kits from beside their mother, they began to cry and squirm.

The rest of the crew and even the two Lasats joined in as well. Halftail couldn't believe that Adlerleaf was gone and he couldn't help thinking that it was all his fault.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

It wasn't that much longer when they landed. It was dusk and would be the ideal time to bury Adlerleaf and Eaglefeather. Everyone decided that they should come to show support for their fallen crew member; except Blufeather, who was staying behind to care for the kits

“I want to carry her," rasped Swifttail as he looked down at his mate. "Please."

“I'll help," offered Birchfoot as he pushed past Bluefeather and Molis. "After all, I was her brother."

Swifttail opened his mouth to argue, but clearly thought better of it and nodded smugly. He lowered down with Birchfoot at his side as Keen and Bluefeather gingerly lifted her up and spread her weight evenly throughout the toms' shoulders. 

Halftail looked down at Eaglefeather as he sunk his teeth into the kit’s scruff. He was even lighter than a feather. ‘I've caught prey bigger than this,’ thought Halftail.

He swallowed his grief as he rose to his full height and strode forward. His eyes continued to flicker as tears nearly ran down his face. Just the thought of burying Adlerleaf and a kit this young sickened him. He longed to yowl how unfair it was, but thought better of it. The last thing that he needed was for anyone to think he was more insane than he already was.

Keen decided to lead the way, since he could scent the best place to bury where animals wouldn't try to dig them up. He stopped a while away from the ship and pointed to a clump of holly berry bushes. "Right here will be good," he murmured to a hole in the clearing. "It was as if they were waiting just for Adlerleaf and Eaglefeather.”

A small sob escaped Swifttail's throat as he strode forward slowly with Birchfoot right beside him. Molis lifted Adlerleaf from their shoulders. They set her down gingerly as they began to dig to make sure the ground was deep enough to cover their scents.

Halftail set down Eaglefeather and started to dig as well. It wasn't long before his paws cramped and his claws filled with mud. Despite this, he didn’t slow. This was for Adlerleaf and he felt partially responsible that he couldn't stop it from happening. He had warned Swifttail, but they had been in love. Nothing that he said would’ve swayed their decision to mate and have kits.

Once the hole was big enough, Swifttail started to rearrange Adlerleaf’s body. He started to groom her so that she looked like she was sleeping and not dead. He licked her cheek as if she was still alive and would nuzzle him back. Halftail remembered being that in love with Bine, but she too had been taken away way too soon.

“I will always love you, Adlerleaf," breathed Swifttail. "I promise that I will never take another mate. You are the only cat that I could ever love and I promise that I will take care of our kits. I'll miss you, my love."

With that he sunk his teeth gingerly into her scruff and began to set her in gently into the hole. He allowed a tear to fall from his eyes and drip onto her flank. He took a numb step backwards and allowed Halftail to stop forward with Eaglefeather.

“I'm sorry that I could never know you or how you would grow up or what you would become. But, I know that you are with your mother and Bine and that they're taking excellent care of you. We will see each other again, I'm sure." He purred as he licked the kit between the ears. He set him in the hole beside his mother, taking a step back.

Everyone started to kick dirt and grit back onto them as they began to bury them. With everyone helping it didn't take long. 

Keen stretched out a claw and curled a Wolf Latin marking on it. He drew back and twitched his ears. "It means 'great warrior' and 'mother' in Wolf Latin. Do you like it?"

Swifttail touched his nose to the pup's ear. "I love it, Keen."

“We can't stay long," confessed Hera as she looked around at the darkness starting to engulf everyone. "The darkness brings troubles that we don't need."

Reluctance showed on Swifttail's face, but he wasn't about to argue with her. Everyone could scent the tang of different animals and no one wanted to intrude on someone else's territory. That was just asking for trouble.

“Come on," whispered Halftail as he came over and butted his head against his son's shoulders. "We have to go, now."

Swifttail looked at the grave once more before tearing forward as if running would help him forget. Everyone else followed in suit with Halftail bringing up the rear. He cast a glance over his shoulder as tears stung at his own eyes.

‘It's not fair! It's never fair,’ he thought bitterly. ‘Fine then! I'm not playing by your rules anymore. This is my life and my family and you better not mess with it!’

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
(Two Moons Later)

“Catch me if you can!"

“Slow down, Leafshine! You're too fast," complained Snowfall as she nearly tripped over her own paws as she tried to catch up with her sister.

Adderfang darted forward on agile paws, purring when he saw his littermates fall against each other and roll head over tail. He rolled his eyes and snorted in amusement. "Fish-brains."

Swifttail came into the room and purred when he saw his kits. They all rushed him and began to lick at his muzzle. He did the same as he looked around. "What are you playing?"

“Jedi and Sith," answered Adderfang as he wiggled his haunches playfully. "I'm the Sith and I'm going to catch the Jedi!"

“But, we're going to defeat you," challenged Leafshine as she rested against Snowfall and the two sisters gave their brother a death glare.

Swifttail snorted in amusement before he realized that not everyone was in there. "Where's Blizzardstorm?"

“He doesn't want to play," answered Adderfang. "He's always tripping over his paws and running into things! I don't get it. He's too clumsy to play with us."

Swifttail tipped his head. "I'll be right back."

With that he left the room and headed to where Halftail was playing with Blizzardstorm. But, Swifttail noticed with a pang how much Blizzardstorm struggled. He kept tripping over Halftail's paws and tail and running into him and messing up blows. Halftail was purring encouragement, but Swifttail could tell that he was getting frustrated. 

“Hey, Blizzardstorm!"

Blizzardstorm turned. "Dad!"

He darted forward, but nearly ran into the door instead. Swifttail swooped him up quickly and purred as he looked into his son’s eyes. He thought to himself for a moment as he rose to his paws.

“Stay right there and come to me when I tell you," he told Blizzardstorm as he bounded forward and found three different size sticks that had found their way on board. He set them equal distance apart before he let out a call for Blizzardstorm.

Blizzardstorm bounded forward and bumped into his father's haunch, stumbling back and smiling timidly. "Blizzardstorm, I want you to chose the biggest stick that you can find of the ones in front of you, okay?"

Blizzardstorm purred as lowered down and lifted his whiskers to each one. One he was sure, he picked it up and passed it to his father. "Here!"

“Good job," Swifttail praised as he licked his cheek. "Now, why don't you go and see if Keen wants to play?”

He nodded as he bounded past Halftail and veered sideways to avoid hitting the door. Halftail rose to his paws and came over to Swifttail.

“What was that about," asked Halftail.

“He didn't chose the biggest stick," confessed Swifttail as he set down the stick almost in anger.

Halftail's whiskers twitched in amusement. "So?"

“He measured the size of it with his whiskers," answered Swifttail. "And his eyes don't focus when I look at him and the way that he's bounding into everything and uses his whiskers to navigate around some corners." 

Halftail leaned forward. "And?"

“Don't you understand, Dad," muttered Swifttail as he hung his head. "Blizzardstorm is blind!"

Halftail let out a small nod. He had figured that something was up with him, but he didn't know that he was blind. "Well, then it's something that he'll have to get used to."

Swifttail's lip curled in fear. "Do you really think that he can have a full life with this?"

“Of course he can," exclaimed Halftail. "Birchfoot does and he has a limp, so why can’t Blizzardstorm by being blind? I'm a Jedi with all of my health problems. Plus, Blizzardstorm was born that way. That's all he's ever know. He'll adjust. He just needs to learn some tricks and I think that I know just the she-cat to teach them to him."

Swifttail was barely listening. He didn't like the idea of Blizzardstorm being blind, but he couldn't do anything about it. All he wanted for him to live a full and productive life and if Brook could help him with that, so be it.


	99. Alone

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It takes a village to raise a family.

Halftail shivered as he lowered down with his teeth chattering madly. He sniffed madly as he felt his nose begin to run. It was raw from him pawing at it. He felt a sneeze waiting deep in his sinuses, but he was trying to stave it off for as long as possible. If he sneezed it would just make his nose tickle more.

There was a sharp sneeze beside him, followed by a few hacking coughs. He turned his head slowly and saw his grandson sitting beside him. Blizzardstorm's white pelt was matted with sweat and discharge was coming from his eyes. He was so small and weaker than the rest of his littermates and the cold was effecting him more than the other kits.

“Bless you," breathed Halftail as warm air came from his mouth as he tried to warm Blizzardstorm to the best of his ability. 

Blizzardstorm looked up in embarrassment as he shuddered. "S-Sorry," he stammered.

“No need to apologize. We're all freezing our pelts off," agreed Halftail as he lowered down and puffed out his fur against Blizzardstorm's pelt to warm him.

Blizzardstorm let out a few more coughs before he settled beside Halftail. The two of them were in a cannon, but it wasn't like Halftail was in any condition to shoot. Halftail could barely see straight and he felt on the edge of another fit. He didn't need Blizzardstorm to see that.

“Stop complaining, Leafshine," hissed Snowfall through the comm. "The heat will come on soon!"

There was a soft purr that had to belong to Swifttail. He melted whenever he spoke to his kits, even when they were on his nerves. "You don't need to shout all of you problems through the comm. I'm sure that Halftail and Kanan don't care about how cold you are."

“Oh, we care," joked Kanan in an almost chattering voice. "I'm freezing my fingers off here! Don't worry, kits, we're all freezing here."

“I can agree with you there," muttered Zeb as Molis let out a bark of agreement.

Halftail leaned forward and touched the comm, letting out a sniff despite himself. "All this talking is just wasting the heat that we have left." He coughed and drew his paw away from the comm. "We should conserve strength and energy inside ourselves."

“Halftail, I don't like the sound of your voice," growled the stern voice of Birchfoot from inside his room where he kept all of his herbs and medical supplies. Most of them couldn't get this cold, especially Halftail's medicine. Birchfoot was beside himself in worry. "You're getting sick, aren't you?"

Halftail couldn't help but narrow his eyes and tense his voice. "I'm fine, Birchfoot. Let's focus on the task at hand."

“What is the task at hand," asked Ezra shortly. "I can't see anything and the scanners aren't functioning. We're just floating here!"

Halftail sighed as he curled his half tail around Blizzardstorm's body to try and warm him up. Blizzardstorm coughed softly as he buried his head into Halftail's side. "Great StarBound it's cold! I think that my claws are going to fall off before we see or hear anything."

It was silent for a little while and Halftail had almost fallen asleep when he suddenly heard Keen's whimpering. "Wait! I hear something," he whispered as he drew away from the comm. 

“Yeah, I hear it too," agreed Ezra.

“Yeah, well, Keen's a wolf and Ezra is just Ezra. It's not surprising that they hear something that we don't," pointed out Sabine as she chattered her teeth.

“What does it sound like," asked Kanan.

“Good question. I'm not sure," answered Keen as he let out a sigh. "It's really hard to explain, but I know that I hear it. I'm not crazy!"

“Why does Keen think that he's crazy," whispered Adderfang over his father's comm.

“Hush," snapped Swifttail as he swept his tail around his son. "Keen just means that he thinks it's strange that he can't explain what he hears. Keen is extremely talented with his ears."

Halftail rose to his paws, coughing heavily. He reared on his hind legs and heard Blizzardstorm whimper as he shifted awake. He pressed his nose against the glass, but he still couldn't see or hear anything—not that he thought he would. His ears were buzzing and he knew that he had a fever, so whatever he saw wasn't exactly reliable. 

“I don't see anything," he announced. "Are you sure, Keen?”

“Yes I'm sure!" There was a brief pause. "Wait! I hear something again. It's coming now!"

Halftail was about to curl up and forget about it, but when he turned his head, he saw these giant creatures that looked like whales in space. They were making billowing noises that even Halftail could hear now. The humans could probably even hear it now.

They came over to the Ghost and began to curl around it, almost purring as they brushed against the ship. Halftail felt panicked, but he tried to stop himself from showing it in front of Blizzardstorm. Blizzardstorm whimpered in terror as he clung against his grandfather's pelt.

“What are those things," whimpered Blizzardstorm as he buried his head into Halftail's flank once more.

Halftail gulped. "That's a very good question, little one. I'm not sure."

The atmosphere changed as the creatures continued to rub against them affectionately. Halftail couldn't help but growl as he saw them coming nearer and nearer. One stopped and looked at them as Halftail tilted his head curiously. He knew that he could probably connect with them if he tried; he just wasn't sure if he wanted to or not.

“They're agitated," answered Keen as if he had read his Master's mind. "But, why?"

Another whizzing sound echoed and Halftail turned his head to see TIE Fighters incoming. He immediately bared his teeth in a snarl as he leaped forward and grasped the cannon, breaking into a coughing fit as he did so. "Blast!"

“Wait," argued Sabine over the comm with Bluefeather murmuring in the background to Hera. "They're not Imperial. They're modified."

Alarm showed in Halftail's eyes as he curled his lip and lashed his tail against the ground. "So who's are they and why are they shooting at us? Those whales don't seem to like it!"

“I don't need to wait to find out," answered Kanan as he spiraled around and looked to where to he needed to shoot.

The fur along Halftail's spine stood on end as he gulped as he gripped the controls and struggled to turn them. His muscles fatigued as he collapsed and struggled to right himself. 

Luckily, Ezra fired on the TIEs, so that he didn't even have to worry about it. He grumbled as he rose to his paws, giving his pelt a final and firm shake.

“Are you okay," asked Blizzardstorm, his blind eyes glistening bright with fever.

Halftail licked him between the ears. "I'm fine, Blizzardstorm. How about you and I go down to see Hera? It's much warmer in the cockpit."

Blizzardstorm purred as he wiggled his haunches. "Yes, please, Halftail!"

Halftail nudged Blizzardstorm's haunch before he helped him down. The two joined Birchfoot. He seemed to be limping rougher because of the cold. He hadn't complained, but Halftail could tell that he was in some serious pain.

He met Birchfoot's aggravated gaze. "Don't give me that look," growled Halftail as he looked down at Blizzardstorm pointedly. 

Birchfoot gritted his teeth. "I told you how important it was for you to worry about your health."

“I'm not dying, Birchfoot. I'm fine," he reported briskly as he veered past him as he bounded forward. Blizzardstorm followed as they continued to the cockpit. It wasn't much warmer, but it was better than nothing. 

Swifttail came over and purred as he saw his blind son. He licked him between the ears, withdrawing because of the heat that wafted from his son. He wrinkled his nose slightly as he lifted up Blizzardstorm by the scruff and set him on the seat where Bluefeather had sat, after she had leapt from it.

“Rest here. Dad, help me get the supplies for when we land," Swifttail urged as Halftail nodded slowly. He cast one more glance at Blizzardstorm before he bounded forward. 

Halftail followed after his son as they pushed back Zeb and Molis. Molis whimpered as Zeb complained about how cold it was from back there.

“Don't worry. How do you think I feel," sniffed Halftail as he rubbed a paw against his nose. He gave himself a powerful sniff to try and stop an impending sneeze.

Halftail joined Swifttail as they began to screen whatever they could as they made sure that weapons were ready and able for the attack. They had to do everything manually because there was almost no power anymore.

“So, how are you doing," asked Halftail gently as he looked at his son.

Swifttail swiveled to face him after he had run the last system's check. "Fine," he answered stiffly. "You?"

“I just want you to know that I know what you're going through. I lost your mother almost the same way that you lost Adlerleaf. That was the last thing that I wanted for you," Halftail explained. He wanted to say how he had warned his son that this could and would happen, but he didn't think that it would be the time for it. 

Swifttail gave a small nod of his head. "Yeah, well, I can't do anything about it now. I love all of my kits and I would give my life for anyone of them. I can't go back now. It's what I have to face."

Halftail decided that it was best to leave it at that. Swifttail would talk more when he was ready, or when he needed to. Now it wasn't the time. They needed to just put it behind him for the time being.

They made their way back to the front of the Ghost once more to find Sabine trying to explain to everyone her plan. Unfortunately, Halftail's fever was raging and it was getting harder and harder to focus on anything that anyone was saying. Also, his concern for Blizzardstorm wasn't helping. 

“Does everyone understand," asked Kanan.

Halftail let out a light cough. "Er, yeah, let's go," he agreed.

Kanan blocked his path. "I don't think so. You're in absolutely no condition to do anything," he reported as he looked down at his friend.

Halftail let out a low growl as he swiped his tail against the ground, coughing lightly once more. He didn't want to join the attack, but he couldn't make himself look even weaker in front of Kanan. "I'm fine. Just tell me where I need to go." He then looked over to Keen. "Keen, come with me."

Keen bounced on his paws as he followed Halftail. They made their way over to hanger with Kanan, Sabine, and Ezra following. Keen yipped in excitement as his tail wagged behind him. 

“Here, you'll need this," urged Sabine as she tossed a helmet at Keen and then Halftail.

Keen caught it with his wing as he placed it over his face, grimacing a bit. He certainly didn't like anything around his face, but he knew that he to.

Halftail grimaced as well as he placed the helmet on his head, securing it tightly. It made his already congested breathing feel even worse. But, he knew that he had signed up for this and he couldn't make a scene in front of Kanan and hear the ‘I told you’ so speech.

“Are you sure that you're okay," Kanan asked as Sabine handed him a decorated Stormtrooper helmet.

Halftail's fur prickled in unease. "I'm fine! Let's go!"

The hanger door opened as he bunched his shoulders, ready to jump.

“Wait, we're not taking the Phantom," exclaimed Ezra in shock.

Keen tilted his head as he looked up to his friend. "Weren't you listening at all? We're flying!" He darted forward as he howled in excitement with his wings drawn against his body.

Halftail rolled his eyes as the rest of the jumped out after him. The wind whipped against Halftail's body and he did all that he could not to shudder in shock and pain. This was certainly a bad idea.

They hurtled toward the narrow pass. Halftail certainly was in no shape to land like he normally did, but that being said, he didn't do bad. He used the force and nearly curled in on himself as he landed harshly. He coughed as he rolled before his neck and creaked it as he rose to his paws. He sniffed heavily through the mask and groaned as he rose to his paws.

Kanan, Sabine, and Chopper landed beside them as Halftail heard a yelp. He looked up just in time as Keen barreled into him because he couldn't stop. The two rolled backwards once more and Halftail growled as he looked down at Keen, but he was sure that Keen was smiling sheepishly under his helmet.

“Sorry," rumbled Keen.

Halftail shoved him back. "Come on, Keen! Are you trying to get us killed," he muttered as he rose to his paws and shook out his flank.

“Not on purpose," answered Keen earnestly before they heard Ezra wailing as he pelted downward. Keen turned his head as he launched himself downward and sunk his teeth into the back of Ezra's jacket. However, his paws slipped and he fell over the edge.

Kanan used the force to stop them from hurtling to their death and set them down gently. Keen nudged Ezra affectionately and Ezra scratched him behind the ear.

“I'm going to have to work on that," laughed Ezra.

Kanan rolled his eyes. "I'm going to make sure you do. Watch out!"

Blasts came from the other direction as Halftail, Keen, Ezra, and Kanan drew their lightsabers. They deflected the blast as Sabine grasped the charges. But, Ezra hit them out of her hand and turned them off.

“What are you doing," asked Kanan exasperatedly. 

Ezra looked down. "We can't do this! The Pergals. If we disrupt the gas we'll hurt them."

Halftail let out a sigh as he realized that the plan was going to change again, just like it always did. It seemed like they would never stay with the plan.

“Fine. Ezra, Keen, stay with the cannon, everyone else, follow me," ordered Kanan as they turned and bounded forward. Halftail looked to Keen first before he followed after Kanan, shaking out his flank once more as the sweat forced it to clump. 

They ducked behind a crate as blasts showered around them. Halftail plastered his ears against his head as he took out his lightsaber and looked around. A blast nearly took out his head as he drew backwards.

“Kanan, you're not going to believe this," exclaimed Ezra.

“I can't believe we don't have any cover fire," exclaimed Kanan as they all drew backwards as the shots continued.

Eventually, shots came from the canon from Ezra and Keen. Halftail lifted his lightsaber and started his attack, coughing heavily. He squeezed his eyes shut a bit as dizziness took over.

“I should've taken a sick day," sniffed Halftail ruefully.

They pressed on before Halftail heard voices in his comm. The buzzing became too much, so he turned it off. He didn't like the chattering that was making his already existing headache worse.

Suddenly, the Ghost came down and touched down on the platform. Everyone filed out as they started to load the fuel. Halftail was ready for the heat since his paws were becoming numb from the cold.

“We have to do this fast," meowed Swifttail as he came out with Bluefeather at her side. "I'm sure that they're going to send for reinforcements."

There was a nod around as they went to work quickly. However, it wasn't long before more TIE Fighters started to come from the sky. Halftail growled as he struggled to climb the Ghost with Kanan at his side. They deflected the shots as the TIE started to turn back.

“Keen! Ezra! What's going on," asked Halftail as he turned. But, he saw that Keen and Ezra weren't there and the canon was smoking. "Keen!"

“We have to go," ordered Kanan simply. 

Halftail didn't want to leave, but he didn't need anyone else being injured. He reluctantly came forward, suddenly halting when there was a growl from around them.

Halftail turned as he saw a Pergal with Keen and Ezra riding on it's back. He couldn't help but snort as he watched his apprentice riding the creature in the sky. He certainly wouldn't attempt it, but he wasn't exactly the bravest tom that he knew.

“Come on," urged Swifttail with a snort of amusement. "Something tells me that they'll keep up when it really counts." He smiled before he bounded forward.

Halftail followed as the rest of them boarded the ship. He was well aware of Keen and Ezra riding beside him on the Pergal and he purred as he took off his helmet, coughing loudly. All eyes turned to him and he shrunk in embarrassment, trying not to sniff.

“And that is where I come on," announced Birchfoot as he came forward and nudged Halftail's shoulder. "Let's go, come on!"

Halftail narrowed his eyes. "For the last time, I'm fine!"

“You are not fine. You're coughing like you're about to hack up a lung and you can't breathe through your nose with the congestion. You're going to take something and then rest with Blizzardstorm," ordered Birchfoot in a rather stern and firm voice.

Halftail ducked his head in embarrassment, but being with Blizzardstorm wasn't so bad. He had taken a clear liking to the young, blind tom. He was weaker than his littermates and it resinated with him. Spending time with him might be the only way to get Halftail to go anywhere with Birchfoot.

He reluctantly followed Birchfoot into his room where a pile of bitter herbs was waiting. Halftail arched his neck as he lapped them up reluctantly, shuddering at the taste. When he finally swallowed, he saw Blizzardstorm snoring and curled into a ball.

He made his way over and lowered down beside him, curling himself around him. He licked a feverish Blizzardstorm between the ears before he looked over to Birchfoot.

“You sure know how to get me to do anything, don't you," he challenged.

Birchfoot shrugged. "What can I say? Your grandkits are your weakness."

Halftail shook his head feebly. "Family is my weakness. So, I guess that means that everyone here is my weakness. Because, at the end of the day, we're all family and we're all that any of us have."


	100. Family Weakness

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Missions are always harder when sick.

Halftail shivered as he lowered down with his teeth chattering madly. He sniffed madly as he felt his nose begin to run. It was raw from him pawing at it. He felt a sneeze waiting deep in his sinuses, but he was trying to stave it off for as long as possible. If he sneezed it would just make his nose tickle more.

There was a sharp sneeze beside him, followed by a few hacking coughs. He turned his head slowly and saw his grandson sitting beside him. Blizzardstorm's white pelt was matted with sweat and discharge was coming from his eyes. He was so small and weaker than the rest of his littermates and the cold was effecting him more than the other kits.

“Bless you," breathed Halftail as warm air came from his mouth as he tried to warm Blizzardstorm to the best of his ability. 

Blizzardstorm looked up in embarrassment as he shuddered. "S-Sorry," he stammered.

“No need to apologize. We're all freezing our pelts off," agreed Halftail as he lowered down and puffed out his fur against Blizzardstorm's pelt to warm him.

Blizzardstorm let out a few more coughs before he settled beside Halftail. The two of them were in a cannon, but it wasn't like Halftail was in any condition to shoot. Halftail could barely see straight and he felt on the edge of another fit. He didn't need Blizzardstorm to see that.

“Stop complaining, Leafshine," hissed Snowfall through the comm. "The heat will come on soon!"

There was a soft purr that had to belong to Swifttail. He melted whenever he spoke to his kits, even when they were on his nerves. "You don't need to shout all of you problems through the comm. I'm sure that Halftail and Kanan don't care about how cold you are."

“Oh, we care," joked Kanan in an almost chattering voice. "I'm freezing my fingers off here! Don't worry, kits, we're all freezing here."

“I can agree with you there," muttered Zeb as Molis let out a bark of agreement.

Halftail leaned forward and touched the comm, letting out a sniff despite himself. "All this talking is just wasting the heat that we have left." He coughed and drew his paw away from the comm. "We should conserve strength and energy inside ourselves."

“Halftail, I don't like the sound of your voice," growled the stern voice of Birchfoot from inside his room where he kept all of his herbs and medical supplies. Most of them couldn't get this cold, especially Halftail's medicine. Birchfoot was beside himself in worry. "You're getting sick, aren't you?"

Halftail couldn't help but narrow his eyes and tense his voice. "I'm fine, Birchfoot. Let's focus on the task at hand."

“What is the task at hand," asked Ezra shortly. "I can't see anything and the scanners aren't functioning. We're just floating here!"

Halftail sighed as he curled his half tail around Blizzardstorm's body to try and warm him up. Blizzardstorm coughed softly as he buried his head into Halftail's side. "Great StarBound it's cold! I think that my claws are going to fall off before we see or hear anything."

It was silent for a little while and Halftail had almost fallen asleep when he suddenly heard Keen's whimpering. "Wait! I hear something," he whispered as he drew away from the comm. 

“Yeah, I hear it too," agreed Ezra.

“Yeah, well, Keen's a wolf and Ezra is just Ezra. It's not surprising that they hear something that we don't," pointed out Sabine as she chattered her teeth.

“What does it sound like," asked Kanan.

“Good question. I'm not sure," answered Keen as he let out a sigh. "It's really hard to explain, but I know that I hear it. I'm not crazy!"

“Why does Keen think that he's crazy," whispered Adderfang over his father's comm.

“Hush," snapped Swifttail as he swept his tail around his son. "Keen just means that he thinks it's strange that he can't explain what he hears. Keen is extremely talented with his ears."

Halftail rose to his paws, coughing heavily. He reared on his hind legs and heard Blizzardstorm whimper as he shifted awake. He pressed his nose against the glass, but he still couldn't see or hear anything—not that he thought he would. His ears were buzzing and he knew that he had a fever, so whatever he saw wasn't exactly reliable. 

“I don't see anything," he announced. "Are you sure, Keen?”

“Yes I'm sure!" There was a brief pause. "Wait! I hear something again. It's coming now!"

Halftail was about to curl up and forget about it, but when he turned his head, he saw these giant creatures that looked like whales in space. They were making billowing noises that even Halftail could hear now. The humans could probably even hear it now.

They came over to the Ghost and began to curl around it, almost purring as they brushed against the ship. Halftail felt panicked, but he tried to stop himself from showing it in front of Blizzardstorm. Blizzardstorm whimpered in terror as he clung against his grandfather's pelt.

“What are those things," whimpered Blizzardstorm as he buried his head into Halftail's flank once more.

Halftail gulped. "That's a very good question, little one. I'm not sure."

The atmosphere changed as the creatures continued to rub against them affectionately. Halftail couldn't help but growl as he saw them coming nearer and nearer. One stopped and looked at them as Halftail tilted his head curiously. He knew that he could probably connect with them if he tried; he just wasn't sure if he wanted to or not.

“They're agitated," answered Keen as if he had read his Master's mind. "But, why?"

Another whizzing sound echoed and Halftail turned his head to see TIE Fighters incoming. He immediately bared his teeth in a snarl as he leaped forward and grasped the cannon, breaking into a coughing fit as he did so. "Blast!"

“Wait," argued Sabine over the comm with Bluefeather murmuring in the background to Hera. "They're not Imperial. They're modified."

Alarm showed in Halftail's eyes as he curled his lip and lashed his tail against the ground. "So who's are they and why are they shooting at us? Those whales don't seem to like it!"

“I don't need to wait to find out," answered Kanan as he spiraled around and looked to where to he needed to shoot.

The fur along Halftail's spine stood on end as he gulped as he gripped the controls and struggled to turn them. His muscles fatigued as he collapsed and struggled to right himself. 

Luckily, Ezra fired on the TIEs, so that he didn't even have to worry about it. He grumbled as he rose to his paws, giving his pelt a final and firm shake.

“Are you okay," asked Blizzardstorm, his blind eyes glistening bright with fever.

Halftail licked him between the ears. "I'm fine, Blizzardstorm. How about you and I go down to see Hera? It's much warmer in the cockpit."

Blizzardstorm purred as he wiggled his haunches. "Yes, please, Halftail!"

Halftail nudged Blizzardstorm's haunch before he helped him down. The two joined Birchfoot. He seemed to be limping rougher because of the cold. He hadn't complained, but Halftail could tell that he was in some serious pain.

He met Birchfoot's aggravated gaze. "Don't give me that look," growled Halftail as he looked down at Blizzardstorm pointedly. 

Birchfoot gritted his teeth. "I told you how important it was for you to worry about your health."

“I'm not dying, Birchfoot. I'm fine," he reported briskly as he veered past him as he bounded forward. Blizzardstorm followed as they continued to the cockpit. It wasn't much warmer, but it was better than nothing. 

Swifttail came over and purred as he saw his blind son. He licked him between the ears, withdrawing because of the heat that wafted from his son. He wrinkled his nose slightly as he lifted up Blizzardstorm by the scruff and set him on the seat where Bluefeather had sat, after she had leapt from it.

“Rest here. Dad, help me get the supplies for when we land," Swifttail urged as Halftail nodded slowly. He cast one more glance at Blizzardstorm before he bounded forward. 

Halftail followed after his son as they pushed back Zeb and Molis. Molis whimpered as Zeb complained about how cold it was from back there.

“Don't worry. How do you think I feel," sniffed Halftail as he rubbed a paw against his nose. He gave himself a powerful sniff to try and stop an impending sneeze.

Halftail joined Swifttail as they began to screen whatever they could as they made sure that weapons were ready and able for the attack. They had to do everything manually because there was almost no power anymore.

“So, how are you doing," asked Halftail gently as he looked at his son.

Swifttail swiveled to face him after he had run the last system's check. "Fine," he answered stiffly. "You?"

“I just want you to know that I know what you're going through. I lost your mother almost the same way that you lost Adlerleaf. That was the last thing that I wanted for you," Halftail explained. He wanted to say how he had warned his son that this could and would happen, but he didn't think that it would be the time for it. 

Swifttail gave a small nod of his head. "Yeah, well, I can't do anything about it now. I love all of my kits and I would give my life for anyone of them. I can't go back now. It's what I have to face."

Halftail decided that it was best to leave it at that. Swifttail would talk more when he was ready, or when he needed to. Now it wasn't the time. They needed to just put it behind him for the time being.

They made their way back to the front of the Ghost once more to find Sabine trying to explain to everyone her plan. Unfortunately, Halftail's fever was raging and it was getting harder and harder to focus on anything that anyone was saying. Also, his concern for Blizzardstorm wasn't helping. 

“Does everyone understand," asked Kanan.

Halftail let out a light cough. "Er, yeah, let's go," he agreed.

Kanan blocked his path. "I don't think so. You're in absolutely no condition to do anything," he reported as he looked down at his friend.

Halftail let out a low growl as he swiped his tail against the ground, coughing lightly once more. He didn't want to join the attack, but he couldn't make himself look even weaker in front of Kanan. "I'm fine. Just tell me where I need to go." He then looked over to Keen. "Keen, come with me."

Keen bounced on his paws as he followed Halftail. They made their way over to hanger with Kanan, Sabine, and Ezra following. Keen yipped in excitement as his tail wagged behind him. 

“Here, you'll need this," urged Sabine as she tossed a helmet at Keen and then Halftail.

Keen caught it with his wing as he placed it over his face, grimacing a bit. He certainly didn't like anything around his face, but he knew that he to.

Halftail grimaced as well as he placed the helmet on his head, securing it tightly. It made his already congested breathing feel even worse. But, he knew that he had signed up for this and he couldn't make a scene in front of Kanan and hear the ‘I told you’ so speech.

“Are you sure that you're okay," Kanan asked as Sabine handed him a decorated Stormtrooper helmet.

Halftail's fur prickled in unease. "I'm fine! Let's go!"

The hanger door opened as he bunched his shoulders, ready to jump.

“Wait, we're not taking the Phantom," exclaimed Ezra in shock.

Keen tilted his head as he looked up to his friend. "Weren't you listening at all? We're flying!" He darted forward as he howled in excitement with his wings drawn against his body.

Halftail rolled his eyes as the rest of the jumped out after him. The wind whipped against Halftail's body and he did all that he could not to shudder in shock and pain. This was certainly a bad idea.

They hurtled toward the narrow pass. Halftail certainly was in no shape to land like he normally did, but that being said, he didn't do bad. He used the force and nearly curled in on himself as he landed harshly. He coughed as he rolled before his neck and creaked it as he rose to his paws. He sniffed heavily through the mask and groaned as he rose to his paws.

Kanan, Sabine, and Chopper landed beside them as Halftail heard a yelp. He looked up just in time as Keen barreled into him because he couldn't stop. The two rolled backwards once more and Halftail growled as he looked down at Keen, but he was sure that Keen was smiling sheepishly under his helmet.

“Sorry," rumbled Keen.

Halftail shoved him back. "Come on, Keen! Are you trying to get us killed," he muttered as he rose to his paws and shook out his flank.

“Not on purpose," answered Keen earnestly before they heard Ezra wailing as he pelted downward. Keen turned his head as he launched himself downward and sunk his teeth into the back of Ezra's jacket. However, his paws slipped and he fell over the edge.

Kanan used the force to stop them from hurtling to their death and set them down gently. Keen nudged Ezra affectionately and Ezra scratched him behind the ear.

“I'm going to have to work on that," laughed Ezra.

Kanan rolled his eyes. "I'm going to make sure you do. Watch out!"

Blasts came from the other direction as Halftail, Keen, Ezra, and Kanan drew their lightsabers. They deflected the blast as Sabine grasped the charges. But, Ezra hit them out of her hand and turned them off.

“What are you doing," asked Kanan exasperatedly. 

Ezra looked down. "We can't do this! The Pergals. If we disrupt the gas we'll hurt them."

Halftail let out a sigh as he realized that the plan was going to change again, just like it always did. It seemed like they would never stay with the plan.

“Fine. Ezra, Keen, stay with the cannon, everyone else, follow me," ordered Kanan as they turned and bounded forward. Halftail looked to Keen first before he followed after Kanan, shaking out his flank once more as the sweat forced it to clump. 

They ducked behind a crate as blasts showered around them. Halftail plastered his ears against his head as he took out his lightsaber and looked around. A blast nearly took out his head as he drew backwards.

“Kanan, you're not going to believe this," exclaimed Ezra.

“I can't believe we don't have any cover fire," exclaimed Kanan as they all drew backwards as the shots continued.

Eventually, shots came from the canon from Ezra and Keen. Halftail lifted his lightsaber and started his attack, coughing heavily. He squeezed his eyes shut a bit as dizziness took over.

“I should've taken a sick day," sniffed Halftail ruefully.

They pressed on before Halftail heard voices in his comm. The buzzing became too much, so he turned it off. He didn't like the chattering that was making his already existing headache worse.

Suddenly, the Ghost came down and touched down on the platform. Everyone filed out as they started to load the fuel. Halftail was ready for the heat since his paws were becoming numb from the cold.

“We have to do this fast," meowed Swifttail as he came out with Bluefeather at her side. "I'm sure that they're going to send for reinforcements."

There was a nod around as they went to work quickly. However, it wasn't long before more TIE Fighters started to come from the sky. Halftail growled as he struggled to climb the Ghost with Kanan at his side. They deflected the shots as the TIE started to turn back.

“Keen! Ezra! What's going on," asked Halftail as he turned. But, he saw that Keen and Ezra weren't there and the canon was smoking. "Keen!"

“We have to go," ordered Kanan simply. 

Halftail didn't want to leave, but he didn't need anyone else being injured. He reluctantly came forward, suddenly halting when there was a growl from around them.

Halftail turned as he saw a Pergal with Keen and Ezra riding on it's back. He couldn't help but snort as he watched his apprentice riding the creature in the sky. He certainly wouldn't attempt it, but he wasn't exactly the bravest tom that he knew.

“Come on," urged Swifttail with a snort of amusement. "Something tells me that they'll keep up when it really counts." He smiled before he bounded forward.

Halftail followed as the rest of them boarded the ship. He was well aware of Keen and Ezra riding beside him on the Pergal and he purred as he took off his helmet, coughing loudly. All eyes turned to him and he shrunk in embarrassment, trying not to sniff.

“And that is where I come on," announced Birchfoot as he came forward and nudged Halftail's shoulder. "Let's go, come on!"

Halftail narrowed his eyes. "For the last time, I'm fine!"

“You are not fine. You're coughing like you're about to hack up a lung and you can't breathe through your nose with the congestion. You're going to take something and then rest with Blizzardstorm," ordered Birchfoot in a rather stern and firm voice.

Halftail ducked his head in embarrassment, but being with Blizzardstorm wasn't so bad. He had taken a clear liking to the young, blind tom. He was weaker than his littermates and it resinated with him. Spending time with him might be the only way to get Halftail to go anywhere with Birchfoot.

He reluctantly followed Birchfoot into his room where a pile of bitter herbs was waiting. Halftail arched his neck as he lapped them up reluctantly, shuddering at the taste. When he finally swallowed, he saw Blizzardstorm snoring and curled into a ball.

He made his way over and lowered down beside him, curling himself around him. He licked a feverish Blizzardstorm between the ears before he looked over to Birchfoot.

“You sure know how to get me to do anything, don't you," he challenged.

Birchfoot shrugged. "What can I say? Your grandkits are your weakness."

Halftail shook his head feebly. "Family is my weakness. So, I guess that means that everyone here is my weakness. Because, at the end of the day, we're all family and we're all that any of us have."


	101. New Life

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Extended families are complicated, especially if one blames another for a death.

Halftail heard a yelp as Leafshine went flying through the air. He gasped as he reared on his hind legs and grasped her scruff before she slammed into the wall. The ground lurched and shook under him as he set down Leafshine gingerly, standing over her before she went flying once more.

“T-Thanks, Halftail," panted Leafshine as she looked up to her grandfather.

“Uh huh, just go and stay with your father. It's too dangerous to be walking around here in the middle of a battle," he told her sternly with a growl. It was bad enough to have a battle on the ground, but a battle in the sky threatened everyone around, especially kits who still hadn't learned about proper balance yet.

She nodded as she bounded over to Birchfoot's room, where no doubt her father would be as he tried to stop Halftail's medication from falling and spilling everywhere.

Halftail then made his way into the cockpit and saw Bluefeather and Hera struggling to keep control of the Ghost. Snowfall watched from behind them, her eyes wide as she tried to take in absolutely everything. However, this wasn't exactly the time to be learning about anything.

“Zeb, hurry up," snapped Hera.

Zeb's voice than rang over the comm. "I got it, Hera. You're free to go."

The Ghost turned and Halftail nearly flew backwards. Kanan leaped in and stopped Halftail from falling against the wall and sending him into another fit. "Easy."

“You're telling me," grumbled Halftail, but Kanan didn't move. He stayed where he was in case the Ghost shifted once more and Halftail would fall.

It wasn't until the Ghost started to travel into hyperspace that Kanan allowed Halftail to be released. The two then made their way into the bridge and he smiled as he made his way to Snowfall. 

“Great job, Snowfall," praised Halftail as she leaped down and purred against Halftail's chest. "But, could you leave the adults to talk for a little bit?"

Snowfall nodded. "Alright. See you later," she purred as she bounded forward, leaving the rest of them to talk freely.

Halftail leaped up beside Kanan as the holomessage flickered on. "What happened," he asked.

“We're losing more pilots than we can get back," sighed Hera as she leaned back in her seat, looking angry with herself.

Kanan worked his fingers through his hair a bit. "It's been hard without a base. We need somewhere to land until then."

“How about the Ryloth system," suggested Bluefeather as she scratched at her ear with her hind leg. "We're going to be passing that system and I've heard that it's a free system, or at least it was."

“Ryloth," echoed Hera with a frown. She then stood up, nearly hitting her hand against Bluefeather's muzzle in her haste. "I know a contact down there. I'll contact them.”

She made her way out before Bluefeather looked to Halftail and Kanan. "What's up with her?" She then saw the panicked look in both their eyes. "What's up with you?"

“Do you think that he’ll be there," asked Halftail as he looked up to Kanan with a pleading look in his eyes. He knew the answer to that, but he would have liked to hear someone be on his side.

Kanan grasped Halftail's shoulder surely. "Don't worry. We'll figure it out together. Do you think that I want this to happen?"

Halftail leaped down and grumbled to himself. He made his way through the hallway as the kits exploded from Birchfoot's room. Birchfoot laughed until he caught sight of Halftail. "What's wrong with you?"

“Er, nothing that I can't handle," answered Halftail as he kinked his tail over his back. "Cham will be coming and he'll probably bring Hirun." 

Birchfoot sighed heavily. "That could complicate things from the way that I've heard you mutter his name sometimes. Now, how are you feeling? That cold took a lot more out of you than I would have liked."

“Healthy as a Wampa," reassured Halftail as he puffed out his chest in pride. "How's Blizzardstorm?"

“Oh, a little lethargic, but nothing major. A sniffle here and there with a sneeze or two. He should be right as rain in a few days. It's you I'm worried about with Hirum," replied Birchfoot.

Halftail nudged the other three kits away as Swifttail and Keen approached. "For the last time, you don't have to worry about me. I'm fine."

It wasn't long before Halftail sensed that they were being docked. He let out a small yowl for the kits as they bounded forward. "Okay, now I want everyone to behave and speak only when spoken to, understand?"

“Yes, Halftail," they chorused as Swifttail came behind them, tilting his head slightly.

Halftail twitched his ears as he heard Kanan snapping at Ezra. "Stop slouching! You're making me look bad!"

“What's his problem," whispered Ezra down to Swifttail. Swifttail snorted and shrugged, nearly rolling his eyes, but he didn't want to set a bad example for him.

It wasn't long before Cham and the large cat that Halftail knew to be Hirum came in. He was fairly large with narrowed eyes. He wasn't a snow leopard and Halftail guessed that that would have had to have been her mother. But, he saw where those blue eyes came from.

“It's good to see you, father,” breathed Hera with a dip of her head.

Cham smiled as he introduced his crew. His eyes then locked with Kanan's and even Halftail's. "You two must be the Jedi that I've heard about."

“Er, yes I'm Kanan Jarrus and this is Halftail." He then introduced the rest of the crew, just not in the right order. Swifttail was basically reeling about being called Bluefeather.

“We better talk about the plan," Hera suggested once they relived old memories and not all of them good.

They all followed her, with Halftail being forced to walk uncomfortably close against Hirum. The tom was gazing at Halftail with still narrowed eyes. Halftail could have guessed that Hirum wouldn't like him, but he would have appreciated that he not look at him, like that the entire time in front of his kit and grandkits. 

They all gathered around the plans as Hera explained it. It was an amazing plan, Halftail thought. But, from the way that Cham and his group were staring at it made Halftail want to clock them.

“No, we should do it a different way," argued Cham with Hirum letting out a growl of agreement.

“All due respect, Hera has been doing this a while," pointed out Halftail before he even realized that he was talking. "She has been leading us for forever and she knows what she's doing. I think that we should listen to her."

Cham leaned backwards, his arms crossed against his chest. "Very well. If you all agree with my daughter than we can go with this plan."

There was slight murmuring when Swifttail came over to Halftail, his tail gingerly grazing Halftail's neck. "Dad, a word," he whispered in his ear so that he wouldn't embarrass him.

Halftail sighed as he made his way into a closet. Swifttail closed the door, swiftly turning to Halftail, noticing the familiar flickering of his eyes. He sighed as he went to get Birchfoot to bring the healer back. "Can you look at him real quick as I talk to him?”

“No problem," answered Birchfoot as he lifted a light and flashed it in Halftail's eyes, finding him recoiling. "Just sit still, Halftail, and we'll finish this soon."

Swifttail then sat down and shot her father a stern glance. "I'd like to know who that tom is and what you have against him or what he has against you."

“That's your grandfather, Swifttail, your mother's father. Your mother never used to like talking to him much when we were together. I didn't even know his name, let alone if he was alive not even we were mates. He was too zealous in Ryloth and not looking at the entire picture here. Now he's here and she's not. Not exactly easy to discuss," pointed out Halftail, sighing as Birchfoot continued to make noises or have him look at him to make sure that he was inducing himself in another fit. 

Swifttail lashed his tail. "I take it that he doesn't know about me?"

“I never told him. I doubt that Hirum liked the fact that she mated with a cat like me. Having kits with me and that being one of the reasons that she died wouldn't exactly be the way to tell him," confessed Halftail when Birchfoot finally left him alone. At least there were no needles involved this time.

Swifttail didn't say anything more as the closet door suddenly opened. Halftail nearly jumped as he realized that it was Hirum. Birchfoot suddenly cleared his throat as he motioned to Swifttail. "We were just leaving. Come on, Swifttail. Let's make sure that the kits aren't asking everyone too many questions."

Hirum went into the closet until he was standing an inch from Halftail. "I come aboard and I find out that my daughter is dead from that other Jedi. What in StarBound’s name did you do to her," snarled Hirum in Halftail's face.

Halftail pushed Hirum backwards with his shoulder, growling tersely with his tail lashing. "I didn't do anything to her. I loved her! She was my mate! She meant everything to me! How dare you think that I would have done anything to hurt her."

Hirum extended his claws as he bared his teeth dangerously close to Halftail's neck. "You're not the only one that can do research. That healer of yours filed a report of death since he had to. I don't know how, but I know that you killed my daughter. I will never forgive you for that."

He then made his way out of the closet, but not before lashing his tail against Halftail's muzzle. It took everything that Halftail had in him not to strike out at the smug tom. Luckily, he managed to breathe gently and he released all that pent up anger that could lead him into a fit. He then relaxed against the walls, sighing heavily as he tried not to think about how Bine's death was his fault. But, he didn't want to admit anything to Hirum.

“Halftail," rasped Blizzardstorm as he opened the closet door, staring at Halftail with milky eyes. He then sneezed and groaned in pain.

Halftail came forward with the anger instantly melting from him. He licked him between the ears affectionately. "Bless you, little one. Do you need something?"

Blizzardstorm lifted his paw and rubbed at his nose as if it itched. "Bluefeather said to find you. It's time to go."

“Alright, come on," offered Halftail as they bounded forward. They made their way into the packed into the ship. It was a little cramped with everyone in there, but they could make it work. Halftail had Blizzardstorm and Leafshine on his shoulders while Keen sat on Ezra's lap. 

They flew through enemy space before Halftail came up to Snowfall's side from where she sat beside Bluefeather, helping both her and Hera. "This is so awesome, Halftail. Did you ever want to be a pilot?"

“Well, I know a little bit of flying, but not nearly enough. That's why I have you on board," snorted Halftail as he licked the she-cat's ear.

There was a sudden rock of the ship as Snowfall looked down with fear in her eyes. "We've been hit! Wait, were we just hit by one of our own fighters?"

“We're in an enemy ship. Of course we're going to be shot at," jabbed Blizzardstorm, still pawing madly at his nose as it probably continued to itch and tickle.

Kanan then leaned forward and uttered the code. "Fly through and dock in number 2."

“That's helpful," muttered Blizzardstorm before he sneezed once more. 

Cham came up and narrowed his eyes as he looked at the kit. "Disgusting creature."

Halftail set down Blizzardstorm and growled at Cham. It was bad enough that the two of them were going after him. He would not allow them to go after his grandson like that.

“Let's talk about this later," suggested Kanan as he pulled Halftail's face so that he could look at them shooting forward at an alarming pace toward the Imperial Cruiser.

“We're coming in hot. Brace yourselves," Hera announced.

They suddenly touched down on the ground and everyone yelped as they were thrown in numerous directions, hitting walls and floors at all angles. Halftail's head slammed against the wall and he gasped in pain. He then rolled on the floor, moaning to himself.

As soon as he made a move to rise to his paws, he felt a blaster against his head. His eyes widened as he realized that it was Hirum. Blizzardstorm was whimpering and sniffling beside him as Halftail thrust him under his body. "Do whatever you'll do to me, traitor! Just leave these kits alone."

“Very well," muttered Hirum as he fired a sun blast right at Halftail's head.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Halftail was finally awoken by someone gingerly shaking his shoulders and something else licking his face. He opened his eyes and realized that Blizzardstorm was licking his face and Kanan was shaking his shoulders gingerly. 

“Ugh, I feel like someone stuffed my head full of cotton," he grumbled as he rose to his paws, nearly slipping back down. He managed to catch himself as he fluffed out his fur.

“Great! Now Cham and Hirum have the detonators," swore Ezra as he kicked his foot against the side of the TIE.

“That doesn't mean that we're not going to try and stop them," pointed out Swifttail as he nudged each of his kits in turn to make sure that they were all alright. "We still have quite a chance if you ask me."

Kanan pinched the bridge of his nose. "Okay, Zeb, Sabine, Molis, Bluefeather, and Birchfoot you'll stay here while the rest of us go up to the bridge."

“What about the kits," inquired Halftail as he looked at them.

Swifttail sighed as he worked his claws against the ground. "We can't just leave them here."

Halftail set his jaw. He hated taking them like this. It was dangerous and they were too young for missions. But, they didn't really have a choice. "Okay, the kits will come with us. Blizzardstorm, you're with me, Snowfall is with Hera, Adderfang with Swifttail, and Leafshine with Keen. Stay close to the one that you're assigned to and don't think about doing anything besides just walking with us, understand?"

Once he got the nods he was looking for, he tipped his head upward. "Let's get out and see what we can do," murmured Halftail as he leaped up and out, gingerly taking the scruff of all the kits that he needed to before he leaped down, shaking out each paw in turn as he landed. 

He led his team to the lifts before they made their way up. Halftail twitched his ears as he heard blaster fire. He looked at the kits. "Stay behind us," he growled sternly.

As soon as the lifts opened, Halftail saw Stormroopers. He used the force to push them back and they crumpled against the ground. He then bolted after the Stormtroopers and saw the walls began to close in.

Swifttail came up and Halftail lifted his paw, just as Kanan raised his hand. They sent the two forward as they twirled in the air, using the force and their lights to take out the Stormtroopers. Swifttail then brought Halftail forward as Kanan came forward with Keen flying behind.

Halftail landed before the doors closed. Kanan then plunged his lightsaber in and used the force to push the troopers down. The rest of the group bolted after them with the kits dancing on their paws. 

“That was amazing," gasped Adderfang.

“Yeah, well don't expect to see it again," joked Halftail as the bridge opened.

Kanan raised his lightsaber and deflected the fire. The rest of them made their way in before Kanan nodded to Ezra. "Ready to try that Jedi mind trick of yours?"

Ezra deactivated his lightsaber and marched up. He then lifted his hand and waved it over the commander trooper. "You will leave your posts and evacuate immediately. I mean it."

It wasn't long before Halftail could hear the Stormtroopers leaving and Kanan clapped him on the back. "Nice work. You're going to be better than Halftail and I at this rate."

Ezra smiled in pride before Keen leaped around. "Halftail!"

They all turned and Halftail nearly froze as he saw Cham and Hirum, both with a blaster in their hand and paw, facing the rebels.

Halftail growled as he stood over Blizzardstorm protectively while Keen and Swifttail did the exact same. They would die for these kits before they would let anyone hurt them.

“Hirum, don't do this," pleaded Halftail with his ears plastered against his head. "Bine wouldn't want this."

“You don't know Bine like I did! You killed her," he spat.

Halftail lowered his head into his shoulders, sighing heavily. "Okay, you're right, you're right. Yes, I did have something to do with her death. I didn't mean to, I promise! I loved her and I wanted to have kits with her. I transmitted a mutated part of my condition to her and I couldn't do anything about it to save her." He then looked to Swifttail. "This is my kit, our kit. I wish that things were different, but I wouldn't change it and neither would Bine. Don't make this worse when your grandson and your grandkits are here."

Blizzardstorm peeked his head around Halftail's haunches and looked up at Hirum in fear with his eyes flickering. Hirum kept his blaster pointed, growling almost to himself. 

“I know that you didn't know Bine very well later in life, but know she wouldn’t want this. She was afraid of what you would say about her mating with a Jedi. We've made our choices! Don't punish them for this."

Hirum suddenly thrust the blaster out of his paws, gasping almost as if he had been holding his breath for moons. He then looked at Halftail, not saying anything, but Halftail could tell that he desperately wanted to. He then looked up to Cham. "Cham."

Cham suddenly came forward and grasped Hera with the blaster still in his hands. Leafshine screamed as Cham came over to her and Swifttail pulled her close. bustling both her and Adderfang under him so that Cham couldn't even think about it. He shoved his ears forward as he growled. 

“Cham," breathed Hirum as he looked up to him.

Cham looked at his daughter. "The Empire deserves to watch this ship burn!"

“It won't bring anyone back," pointed out Halftail, thinking that talking was probably just fish-brained. "We need to work together."

Keen then came over to the front of the ship, shaking his head slightly. "Um, guys, I-I think that you should see this," he barked over his shoulders. 

Halftail came over to Keen and his eyes widened in shock. "TIE Fighters, incoming," he announced as he turned back to everyone. "If you're going to be with us, or at least let us do what we do, then I think that you better do so fairly quickly."

Cham released Hera as he looked at her. "I guess that this is you're area of expertise."

Hera smiled as she faced the group. "Okay, we all know what to do."

Attention then turned to Halftail and Halftail was more than ready to take control. "Kanan, myself, Swifttail, and one from Cham's group will take the bottom guns, Zeb, Molis, Sabine, you take one above and stop the TIE Fighters at all cost!"

The group automatically obeyed and Halftail was about to leave, but Blizzardstorm bounded over to him. "Halftail, can I help, please?"

“Alright, I don't see why not. Get onto my shoulders." Blizzardstorm then bounded forward and climbed up Halftail's shoulders, claws sinking in deep to anchor himself. Halftail then strode forward with Blizzardstorm on his shoulders. 

They made their way over to one of the guns and Halftail slipped his way down with Blizzardstorm landed beside him. "Tell you what, I steer and you fire? Deal?"

He nodded as he ran his paw under his nose before he allowed Halftail to swivel the controls around. "Fire!"

Blizzardstorm obeyed and he managed to fire and shoot at the TIE, taking it down. He then turned to his grandfather with wide eyes. "Nice job. That was wonderful," he praised as he licked his cheek and forehead. "You're going to be a sharp shooter one day."

Blizzardstorm blushed as he allowed Halftail to do the rest of the work. He managed to swivel around and continued to fire. He did fairly well and it wasn’t long until rest of the TIEs were destroyed. Halftail drew backwards and nuzzled Blizzardstorm. "Alright, let's get out of here before I catch this bug back from you," he joked as Blizzardstorm let out a cackling cough.

He then sunk his teeth into his grandson's scruff and set him out of the sphere that the gun was in. They then bolted forward as he joined the rest of the group.

“That was some pretty amazing, Halftail," praised Kanan.

Halftail shook his head as he looked down to Blizzardstorm. "No, it was all Blizzardstorm. I steered and he fired. Certainly a sharpshooter in the making."

Blizzardstorm laughed as his littermates came up to him and bombarded him. They pressed against him, purring and congratulating him. 

“Come on, we better get out of here before the rest of the Empire shows up," meowed Halftail as he lowered down, allowed Blizzardstorm back on his shoulders.

Adderfang then leaped onto Keen's shoulders, with Leafshine clambering up as well. Snowfall then went with her father and Swifttail touched his nose to hers. "Let's go home."

The entire group made their way back to the hanger, laughing and joking with each other. Halftail even managed to have a bit of a wrestling match as he pressed against Swifttail while Snowfall and Blizzarrdstorm locked paws so that they could shove each other a bit as they walked. Halftail drew back as soon as Blizzardstorm began to cough and choke on his own saliva.

“Okay, that's enough. When we get back to the Ghost I'm going to have Birchfoot check you out and then you're going to sleep," Halftail told him sternly. 

Blizzardstorm buried his head in the back of Halftail's neck, coughing softly, but Halftail didn't seem to care too much. "Can you stay with me?"

“I think that I can arrange that," meowed Halftail as he walked shortly as he tried to make Blizzardstorm fall asleep on him. "Birchfoot will give you something for that cough and I'll take my own medication. Then you can get some sleep and I will too. I'm sure that you'll like that."

They made their way into the hanger and Halftail touched his nose to Birchfoot's as he approached. "Can you take a look at Blizzardstorm for me when we get back? I don't want him to regress."

“No problem. But, I want to look at you too," meowed Birchfoot sternly. "And don't try to deny it, because I can have Blizzardstorm blackmail you."

Birchfoot sighed as he made his way into the Phantom with most of the other crew following. Halftail was about to go up when he saw Hirum just standing there, watching him. Halftail turned over to him and sighed. 

“You've been watching me for a while now," Halftail meowed lightly. 

Hirum sighed. "It's amazing how you lead them and how they respect you and look up to you. You're also an amazing father and grandfather. Those kits adore you." He then pointed his tail to the sleeping Blizzardstorm on his back.

Halftail couldn't believe that Hirum was actually complimenting him. "Thank you. I do try with them."

“I can see why Bine chose you as a mate." With that he turned and Halftail was left just standing there.

“Halftail, it's time to go!"

Halftail smiled, calling over his shoulder. "Coming."

He climbed into the Phantom and sighed as he saw the door close, ready for their next adventure.


	102. Separated

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Halftail’s health is taking a dive and he’s not the only one to notice it.
> 
> Warning for graphic depictions of illness and intravenous injections.

Halftail leaned forward, trying to take up as little space as possible. Everyone was clambered in the cockpit, looking at the planet that he had once visited when he was a Padawan.

“What is it," asked Swifttail stiffly.

“Geonosis," answered Kanan over his shoulders as he sighed heavily. "A lot of battles were fought there long ago."

“And now it's the head of a new station. Bugs probably let the Empire build it there," cut in Halftail as he lifted his hind leg to scratch himself behind his ears, yawning.

Hera swiveled around in his chair. "Chopper, scan for lifeforms."

Chopper beeped as he obeyed, rolling over to one of the control panels. However, he drew back and his dome whirled on his head.

“What do you mean that there's nothing there," murmured Rex as he called from the canon. "That whole planet was infected with bugs. How can there be no life?"

Kanan pointed to the base. "Land there and we'll see what we can do."

Hera nodded as they touched down on the base. It appeared dark and run down. It didn't appear that anyone had been there in years, let alone months. But, it didn't look like it was of any concern and Halftail thought that it would be an easy in and out.

“Can we go too," begged Blizzardstorm as he looked up at his grandfather.

Halftail nudged him backwards. "I'm sorry, little one, but I don't think that that's a good idea. Maybe next time." He kinked his tail over his shoulders. "Swifttail, Keen, let's go."

They leaped down and strode forward silently, making sure that they were extremely careful about where they were going. There was a sudden darkness that washed over him.

“Halftail, I can smell something," murmured Keen as he lifted his head, his nostrils twitching slightly. He then snorted and looked down. "I just don't know what it is."

Halftail drew close to him and tried to scent the air. His scent was as blocked as Keen’s. "Alright, tell me if you smell anything or if you know what it is."

They continued forward while Keen rubbed at his nose with the side of his paw. "I can smell it again." His ears shot straight up as well as his fur along his neck. “Now I can hear something."

“So can I." Halftail sniffed hard. "Ambush!"

A door opened in front of them with Stormtroopers launching forward. Halftail took out his lightsabers and deflected the shots, flipping and turning slightly at the blasts that rained upon them.

He drew toward Kanan and Kanan took out his comm. "Spector 2 to Ghost. We're having a problem and we need to be prepped to go. A black droid is trying to keep us out."

Halftail continued to deflect the blaster fire as he saw Zeb and Molis fighting a while off. "Molis," he yowled as he forced himself to take a few steps back. 

“We'll meet you at the ship," howled Zeb over his shoulder, raising his weapon as he wrestled with the commander. 

They continued be forced back until Halftail made a run to the Ghost, making sure that his lightsaber was in his half tail so he could protect Keen and Swifttail as they ran. They darted forward and Ezra stayed on the edge of the Ghost.

“Zeb," he cried.

Swifttail sunk his teeth into Ezra's leg and pulled him backwards. "We have to go," he mumbled as the Ghost quaked and Swifttail fell sideways.

He nearly rolled off the edge before his claws sunk into it to stop himself from falling. He grunted in pain and effort as he tried to force himself upward. "Ezra," begged Swifttail.

Ezra snapped out of his own head as he darted forward, grasping Swifttail's shoulders and hauling him up. They then made their way into the Ghost, just as the doors closed. "Thanks," panted Swifttail as he rose to his paws, shaking out his fur.

“Don't mention it. Let's go," Ezra breathed as he darted forward with Swifttail right behind. They made their way to the cockpit while everyone else took to their positions whether it was shooting, flying, or just making sure that they weren't in the way.

Swifttail came up behind Bluefeather and the blue furred she-wolf turned to look at him with wide eyes. "Wait, where's Molis," she asked in almost a shaking voice.

“We'll talk about that later," meowed Swifttail, even though that kind of answered his questions anyway. "But now we have to get out of here. So much for it being an abandoned Empire station."

Hera gripped the controls with Bluefeather flicking switches and pushing buttons. "Okay, this is about to get a little rough."

“Of course it is. When doesn't this get rough," complained Swifttail as he bounded down to Rex, hoping that maybe he could be of some help to him. Or at least he could keep his kits away from him long enough to actually shoot something. 

The Ghost flew through the air, firing at the TIEs around them. They began to flip and go in almost circles around the base. They then turned and went through the base upside down and Swifttail had to sink his claws so deep into the ship that he was sure that he wasn't the only one who was almost falling.

They finally emerged from it all and Swifttail let out a sigh of relief. Rex laughed as he thumped Swifttail on the back. "Not bad, cat!"

“Yeah, not bad," muttered Swifttail, still feeling on edge. 

He then strode into the hallway, nearly pushed over by the kits. He couldn't help but purr. Sure, his kits could certainly get under his fur, but he loved them more than anything. 

He arched his neck and licked at each one in turn. "Alright, alright, how about you two go and play a game of checkers or something," suggested Swifttail sternly.

Adderfang twitched his ears, shrugging, and turned to his littermates. "Okay, come on," he meowed with his tail paraded proudly over his back. The rest of his littermates followed and Swifttail shook his head.

He padded forward and ran into a pacing Keen. He smiled as he went over to his friend. "Um, you okay? You're not hurt or anything, are you," he asked.

“It's Molis. I was his wing and I should have stayed by him." He plastered his ears against his head. "Molis is really like a dad, besides Halftail. I know that he loves my aunt and—“

“Keen, don't do this to yourself," interrupted Swifttail gently as he licked Keen between the ears. "Molis knew what he was doing and we'll find him. Besides, we saw him and Zeb escape on an escape pod. They will be fine, I promise."

Keen forced a nod as he pressed against Swifttail's side. "Okay, if you're sure." 

Swifttail nodded encouragingly. "Of course I'm sure. Now, let's go see where they are about finding Molis and Zeb," suggested Swifttail as he bounded forward.

They made their way into the cockpit and saw Ezra hitting Chopper. Swifttail was about to walk the other way, but Keen lifted his wing to stop him from doing so. They then turned and walked the rest of the way into the cockpit. 

“How are we on finding Zeb and Molis," asked Swifttail.

Halftail turned his head and shook out his fur, walking over to his two Padawans. He caught Keen's eye and smiled at him. "We're not very far, but I'm sure that they are both okay. They are the most determined two creatures that I knew. They can survive anywhere and with anything. Don't worry, we'll find them."

It wasn't exactly consoling to hear, but Halftail was pleased that Keen seemed to relax a little once he spoke.

“Halftail, a word," meowed Birchfoot as he poked his head in. "I think that it's time for your medication."

Halftail stifled a groan as he made his way in, dipping his head to Birchfoot as he sat down with his tail curled around his paws. "Birchfoot, I don't need you to remind me to take my meds."

“I know, but I would feel better reminding you. You're taking much more than before to keep yourself even and you should take it at the same time everyday if you can help it. Just your healer being your friend and your friend being your healer," explained Birchfoot as he forced the syringe at Halftail.

Halftail sighed, swinging his head from side to side while glaring at the syringe. "You're going to watch me now."

“If that's what it takes to make sure that you take them," Birchfoot told him sternly. "Don't make me have Kanan watch you."

“You wouldn't," muttered Halftail as he tightened the grip on syringe.

Birchfoot raised an eyebrow. "You know that I would."

Halftail muttered something about healers under his breath before he shoved the syringe into his vein. He groaned at the pain as his eyes squeezed shut. He pulled out the needle and pressed a paw against his vein to stem the bleeding. He hunkered down a bit, breathing so heavily that he swore that something was wrong. 

“Just breathe. I added something else to this dose. Don't like it?"

“No," answered Halftail plainly with his voice shaking. "No, I don't like it. Never do that again."

“Okay, alright. Alright. I was just trying to help, but it seems that I did more harm than good. To my own credit if you would have taken to it, it would have been perfect for you," Birchfoot meowed as he lifted a paw and drew it over his ears. "Just needs some more tweaking."

“Yeah, ya think," snapped Halftail as he laid dow. "I gotta lay down."

Birchfoot came over and felt his forehead and checked his pulse. "Just a racing heart and some lightheadedness. That's to be expected. Just sit down and keep breathing until you feel better. It'll pass, I think."

Halftail was about to say something about Birchfoot only 'thinking' about it, but he decided against it. 

Just was he was starting to compose himself, Swifttail came in and beamed. "We found Zeb and Molis on this weird ice planet. Do you want to see them?"

“Yes."

“No."

Halftail shot Birchfoot an angry glance to silence him. "I'll be right there," he meowed as he shot Birchfoot one more glance before he made his way after his son.

He followed his son and Swifttail looked over his shoulders. "Dad, if you not feeling up to it then you don't have to go," pointed out Swifttail. "I know how much this medication can effect you."

“I'm fine. Just a little experiment from Birchfoot," joked Halftail as he nudged his son playfully. "I'll be fine. You never have to worry about me."

They then, with the rest of the crew following, went out to meet Zeb and Molis. Once they hanger door went down, Keen darted forward and nearly tackled him. Molis chuckled as he rubbed his muzzle down Keen's back.

“I'm alright, Keen. I'm alright," he told him before Bluefeather came over to him. He rumbled as he touched noses with hers affectionately. 

“Hope you didn't have to wait too long for us," murmured Halftail as he dipped his head to them.

Zeb shook his head. "It wasn't too bad. But, we're glad that you're here."

“Let's go home," offered Kanan.

“Yeah, it's cold out here," Ezra agreed as he shivered and worked his hands up his arms.

Zeb narrowed his eyes in shock. "You've only been out here two seconds."

“I know, but it's too seconds too long," pointed out Ezra as he continued to try and warm himself up.

Halftail let out a chuckle, but he could agree with Ezra. It was extremely cold and he felt like they didn't need to be in there any longer than necessary. "Let's go home," he echoed Kanan's thought as they made their way into the Ghost, ready to fight another day.


	103. Darkness

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The wisdom of the past meets the problems of the present.

Halftail growled in frustration as he leaned forward, pushing his lightsaber against one of the Inquisitors. His paws were having trouble staying where they were as the Inquisitors pushed back. 

“I don't think that this place is going to work," muttered Kanan as he came up beside Halftail.

Halftail rolled his eyes as he jumped to avoid an undercut. "Well, considering the entire point of a a secret base is the so called secret part, I think that you would be right," he remarked as he twisted in the air, his back buckling.

“Cross," screeched Kanan as Ezra, Keen, and Swiftftail used the force to switch with Kanan and Halftail. Now Halftail and Kanan were with the female Inquisitor that made the fur along Halftail's spine stand on end for how crazy she was.

“What's the matter, not my type? You are handsome," she breathed as she faced Kanan.

Kanan narrowed his eyes. "I don't do crazy anymore," Kanan showed back as they pressed their lightsabers together as he tried to disarm her.

She then pressed a button on her wrist as a small robotic creature leaped on top of his head. "You're right. I go more for brains now."

Halftail deactivated his lightsaber as he flipped through the air, plucking the droid from the top of his head. He landed on it and sunk his teeth into it as he shook his head fiercely. The droid was destroyed instantly as he spat on the ground and faced the Inquisitor once more. 

“Halftail!"

Halftail turned as he saw Swifttail's paw scraping the edge of the cliff, just about to fall. His eyes narrowed as he lowered into a crouch and pelted across the large rock.

“I'm coming!"

He skidded to a halt at the edge of the rock, nearly falling off himself. He then grasped Swifttail's paw and tried to haul him up as Kanan did the same with Ezra. Keen was still trying to keep them occupied, but he was fighting a losing battle. 

The Inquisitors then came over to them and Halftail looked over his shoulder in alarm. He activated his lightsaber and threw Swifttail in the air. Swifttail wailed in surprise as Halftail connected his lightsaber with an Inquisitor. He forced him backwards before he caught Swifttail by the tail as he hit his head on the rock. Halftail muttered an apology as he saw his opportunity.

“Are you ready to go for a fly," asked Halftail.

Before Swifttail could even think about answering, Halftail threw him into the air once more. He flipped in the air and rolled onto the rock surely, activating his lightsaber and joining the fighting once more. 

“We're going to lose if we keep this up," panted Swifttail, seeing his father begin to slow and the twitch in his right paw become more apparent.

Ezra then turned to the rest of them. "I have a plan. We have to jump."

“Fine by me," murmured Keen as he spread his wings once more, power radiating through each and every feather.

The five of them turned and rushed off the cliff, screaming as they free fell. They suddenly hit something solid and Halftail looked down to realize it was like a manta ray in the sky. He had never seen them before, but he was certainly thankful for them now. He lowered down and pressed his head against the smooth skin of the creature.

“Not bad, Ezra," murmured Kanan just as the Phantom flew forward in front of them.

Swifttail raised his paw and motioned to Halftail. "After you."

Halftail bunched his muscles and leaped into the Phantom, almost missing it by a hair. He continued forward with the rest of them leaping in after him. Halftail slumped down on the cold floor, breathing heavily through gritted teeth.

He noticed that someone had sat down beside him, thrusting something in his face. He lifted his head as he saw his syringe that he had brought just in case. He noticed Kanan with a worried look on his face looming into view. If Kanan had his way then Halftail wouldn't fight like this anymore. But, this was his life and he wasn't about to stop what he loved.

Halftail muttered under his breath as he snatched the syringe and thrust it into his vein a little sloppily. He injected it into his system and grunted in pain, sighed heavily once it subsided. He pulled the needle from his vein and pressed his paw against it, leaning against Kanan.

“Are you okay," fretted Kanan, although it was a little fuzzy and hard for Halftail to make out.

Halftail shook his head as he twitched his ears. "I'm fine. It's just a momentarily side effect. Keep talking," he pleaded in a slurred voice.

“I don't like how wherever we go one of them show up. Or two of them for that matter," Kanan snapped and the voice made Halftail's head pound.

Swifttail fluffed out his fur as he worked his claws against the ground in agitation. "We can't find a secret base if they keep following us. We have to defeat them!"

“Sounds like we're going to need some help and I think I know of what kind," Kanan explained as he ran his hand gingerly over Halftail's body. Halftail curled against him and closed his eyes for sleep.

He was shaken awake once the Phantom landed in the Ghost seemingly in the middle of nowhere. He rose to his paws stiffly and forced himself forward. They emerged into the Ghost with everyone looking at them apprehensively. 

“Well," inquired Molis as he came forward with Bluefeather at his side. "How did it go?"

Keen hung his head and the two instantly forgot the rest of their questions. 

“They're waiting for you in there," Hera told them with a kind smile at Kanan.

Swifttail immediately followed Ezra in there first. Swifttail's eyes brightened as he saw Ahsoka and Brook looking at a holocron. There was a Jedi who was showing a form a fighting that Swifttail had tried to copy to a T when he was younger.

“Now, this part is a little tricky, but with practice it is manageable. Now plant your feet and turn like this. One. Two. Three. Turn. Four. Five." He then deactivated his lightsaber. "It's a form that can be perfected with some practice. Now, let's see what happens when we thrown someone else into the mix. Master Baghera, could you help me please?"

A beautiful and powerful black panther strode forward on light paws, smiling slightly at the news of her joining the mix. "Thank you, Master Skywalker. I will be doing a slightly different form to combat my species slightly. Now, we're going to try this together. One. Two. Three. Watch for the turn. Five. Six. Seven. Eight. Nine. Ten. There are a lot of steps that require excellent timing, but if I can learn it, so can you."

Brook then used the force to close the holocron, tears in her eyes.

“She was very beautiful," Swifttail murmured, hoping that could be considered the right thing to say at the moment, but he highly doubted it.

Brook dipped her head as she swung around to face Swifttail's direction. "Yes, she was, from what I’ve been told. She was a wonderful Jedi Master and she was my mother."

Swifttail nearly choked on his own saliva. "M-Mother?"

“Yes, mother. She was my mother. She was a Jedi who fell in love with a Senator. Strange romance if you ask me, but romance none the less. They came together when my friends and I broke into the Jedi Temple and I became deathly sick. That's when I met her and actually remembered it. Strangely enough it was actually quite nice."

Ezra looked down. "And that's Master Skywalker?"

“Yes. He was my Master. He was an incredible Master," breathed Ahsoka longingly as he grasped Brook's scruff to comfort her.

The door then opened as the rest of the Jedi filed in, scooting over so that everyone had a place to sit and at least be semi comfortable. "We can't find a base with the Inquisitors. We have to defeat them," announced Kanan.

“But how," protested Keen. "We're not making much headway."

“Usually when Master Skywalker and I were in this situation we would turn to Master Kenobi and Master Yoda," explained Ahsoka.

“Well, we did see Yoda in that Jedi temple, right," inquired Swifttail with his claws grasping air. "Perhaps if we went there today we would have some guidance.?”

“I agree," meowed Halftail as his gaze swept around everyone. "Gather what you need and let's go. We don't want to waste anytime with Inquisitors still out there.”

The group nodded as they split up, going to get whatever they needed or say goodbye to whoever they needed. They then made their way to the Phantom once more. Halftail climbed in next to Kanan, still not feeling 100%, but he didn't want to tell anyone. He needed to be strong for the rest of them.

Kanan began to steer the Phantom back to Lothal and they were there in no time whatsoever. They landed on the surface and Halftail was shocked beyond belief to see snow. He didn't think that it could snow on Lothal, but you learn new things everyday.

“You two grew up here, didn't you," asked Ahsoka as she turned to Ezra and Keen.

Keen nodded vigorously. "Yup! It's actually not a bad place to live if you don't mind the heat and sand and no forests to chase prey in." His face fell. "Actually I didn't like it very much."

Brook purred in amusement as she came up to Keen's side. "It's alright. I grew up in the underworld and there weren't any forests there either. But, I've certainly done my fair share of traveling and even now I miss the smelly and musky scent and the black smoke." She then wrinkled her nose. "Where is the temple, even though I can't see it."

Swifttail waved his paw to point in front of him. "Right in front of you. You have to use the force to get the door to show up for you," he explained.

Brook and Ahsoka hung back as the rest of them positioned themselves on a square as they lifted their hands, ready to use the force. "Aren't you coming," asked Ezra. 

“We didn't finish our Jedi training and Brook wasn't trained by a true Jedi. It's probably best if you two just do it," Ahsoka suggested with a small smile.

They nodded as they used the force to lift the temple. It began to turn and raise up, but Swifttail suddenly halted as his ears twitched. "Um, wasn't that the door up there," he asked with his claws pointed to the door.

“New problem. New door," murmured Kanan as the temple finally stopped. It was a lot taller than it had been when they had first been there. It almost symbolized their problems with the Inquisitors.

They made their way in and Keen kept scenting the air, snorting out dust and anything else that he managed to inhale. "I can't smell anything under here. I don't like being underground," he announced with a growl.

“I know," chided Halftail gently. "But, we shouldn't be down here for long. You remember how the temple is."

They made their way to the middle of the temple where everywhere seemed a lot bigger. Keen seemed to brighten as he could actually stretched out his wings now, sighing in delight.

“How are we going to find Master Yoda," asked Keen, pattering his paws against the ground.

Halftail stretched out his paw and rested it on Keen's shoulder as he tried to get him to calm down. "Easy, Keen. Last time we meditated and saw him. Perhaps we should try that now," he suggested.

They seemed to all agree as they sat down in a circle, breathing heavily as they tried to relax in meditation. Halftail was never one to meditate, considering that he didn't like the peace lasting for longer than a few moments. However, this seemed to be actually peaceful and he relaxed into it with his eyes squeezed shut.

Suddenly, Kanan grasped his shoulder as he stood. "Does anyone else see that opening? That door?"

“No," everyone chorused as they exchanged a dubious glance. It sounded crazy that a door would just pop open and Kanan would be the only one to see it.

“Perhaps we need to separate, like we did last time," offered Swifttail. "That’s what we did last time?"

Kanan clutched his fist as he dipped his head. "I'll see you later."

“Be careful," Ezra told him.

“I'll just do the opposite of what you do and I should be fine," he joked over his shoulder as he disappeared and left the rest of them sitting around, breathing heavily.

Halftail opened his eyes as he saw a small hole. He snorted slightly before he realized that no one else could hear him. He bunched his muscles as he surged forward into the hole. He pulled himself in and found himself at the base of a tree. The puma inside of him made his muscles bunch as he clutched the bark of the tree and climbed the tree all the way to the top, or at least when the branches would no longer support his weight.

He stretched out on a long branch and heard an amused purr behind him. "Only you would relax this high in a tree."

He had hoped that Bine would be the one to meet him, but he was equally excited to see his former Master. "Master Brist, I didn't think that I would see you here!”

“Were you expecting Chancellor Palpatine," challenged Brist as he came toward Halfltail hesitantly. It was clear that he never liked climbing trees. 

Halftail snorted as he rose to his paws and turned to face his former Master. "I suppose not. As long as you can offer me some help with the Inquisitors."

“Help with the Inquisitors," echoed Brist as he licked a paw and drew it over his ears. "That is for another day. We have more pressing matters to discuss."

“What could be more pressing than finding a base and stopping the Inquisitors from doing anything else fish-brained," snorted Halftail in surprise. He then relaxed as he looked at his paws. "Sorry."

“It's fine, Mietro. We all get that way sometimes," meowed Brist in the calm, Jedi Master voice that he always seemed to have with his former Padawan.

Halftail flicked his tail into view. "It's Halftail now, Master. I haven't been called Mietro in years now."

“Anyway, more problems. It starts with those kits of yours," he muttered with his claws working against the tree bark.

Surprise showed on Halftail's face. "Kits? You mean Swifttail's kits? What could possibly be wrong with the kits," he asked with panic edging his voice.

“There is nothing wrong with the kits, at least not medically. I'm talking about the power of the force running through a tom’s veins," breathed Brist.

Halftail's mind was racing. "Force? Are you saying that Blizzardstorm and Adderfang are destined to be Jedi?"

“I'm not saying anything yet. I'm just saying that they have force through their veins. But, just because they have the force, doesn't mean that they should use it," threatened Brist.

“What are you talking about? It's not exactly easy just to just turn off the force. Things can happen that you don't mean to happen when you have the power of the force. I have to train them when they're older. Just like I trained my son and their father," rambled Halftail in excitement. Yet more Jedi in the family.

Brist let out a snarl with his teeth bared. "'You're not listening me! It's a mistake, a danger to do so. These kits are a danger," breathed Brist with his tail tip twitching in agitation. 

“They're just kits. They're about the size of my paws at the moment. They are no threat," he argued.

Brist's eyes reflected the darkness above him. "But kits grow up, don't they?"

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Keen lifted his head, his eyes traveling around madly. He then rose to his paws, feeling instant dizziness. He then squeezed his eyes shut, but when he opened them he gasped as he realized that he was flying through the air. He didn't remember even trying to fly. This temple was strange.

Keen landed roughly and folded his wings against his sides, shaking out his flank slightly. He expected to see someone waiting for him, but the darkness was so intense that he could barely see his nose in front of his face, let alone someone standing a while out.

“Keeneyes."

Keen turned suddenly and narrowed his eyes, growling fiercely. "No one calls me that," he told them sternly. "The only one who called me that was my parents and I don't want to be known by that anymore. How do you know my name?"

“The force is mysterious," meowed a pretty she-cat as she stepped forward. She was slightly larger than Keen with piercing blue eyes. "The dead sometimes know more than the living."

“Who are you," asked Keen as he tilted his head.

The she-cat sat down and dipped her head. "My name is Spark. I was a Jedi healer before Order 66. But, enough about me. We're here to talk about you."

“Me," echoed Keen in surprise with flickering eyes. "I don't need to talk about me. I need to know how to defeat the Inquisitors."

“Do you like being a Jedi, Keen," pressed Spark.

“Um, yes. Very much so. I'm learning so much and I'm having fun doing so. I'm helping a lot of people too," Keen pointed out with his tail wagging madly.

Spark nodded. "Yes, you are helping out a lot of people. Would you still like to do that even if you weren't a Jedi?"

“Of course. But, I am a Jedi. Are you saying that I won't be a Jedi anymore," asked Keen with his mind practically reeling with all of this new information. He couldn't understand why Spark was asking all of these questions. It was if she was drilling him.

Spark fluffed out her fur. "But, do you think that you should be a Jedi if you just want to help people? Can you do what really needs to be done. Could you kill a mother as she is a threat to the world while her son or daughter watches."

“I don't know," Keen whimpered as he lowered down.

“Could you kill your friend for the greater good of the many?"

“I don't know."

“Could you risk the life of someone that you love when you know that it could help someone else?"

“I don't know."

“Should you be a Jedi?"

“I. DON'T. KNOW!"

Keen stood up and faced Spark, eyes alit with fury. "I don't know! I don't know if I'm a good Jedi or if it was an impulse decision. But, I'll do whatever I can to save as many lives as I can from the Empire and start a rebellion. You have no right to tell me that I should or shouldn't be a Jedi!”

Spark smiled proudly, giving her head a small bow. "The future is going to be hard, but you will be ready."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Brook opened her eyes wide, even though she couldn't exactly see what was going on around her. She stood and spiraled around, sensing that Ahsoka was beside her and grunting, but not moving. It was as if she was asleep and Brook was the only one that could move.

She stopped dead as she scented something different. It was something starry, she was sure of it. She stepped forward and tried to make herself seem taller. "Who are you," she challenged shortly.

“That isn't exactly the welcome that I was hoping for," meowed a voice.

Brook's eyes widened. "Mother," she gasped as she stepped forward. "What are you doing here?"

“I'm not alone," breathed Baghera as she turned her head to another cat beside her. He limped forward, smiling, even though he knew that she couldn't see her. "Do you recognize him?"

Brook twitched her ears and picked up the limp automatically. She charged forward and nearly pushed him over. "Framp," she exclaimed in affection. "My love, I missed you!"

Framp intertwined his tail with hers and they pressed against each other. "I've missed you too. Not a day goes by that I don't think about you and don't want to see you."

“But, what are you doing here," Brook repeated as she tipped her head toward her mother. She opened her mouth to scent the air and realized that she wasn’t how Brook remembered her. She seemed to have robotic appendages and patches of her pelt and flesh were missing. She imagined that she didn't look well.

“We've come to warn you about an old friend becoming a new foe," answered Framp as he licked her ear.

Brook was used to riddles. Jedi always seemed to talk like that. "New foe?”

“The one who did this to me," spat Baghea hotly. She clearly didn't want to wait for her daughter to figure it out. "You have to stop him before he does anything more to anyone else!"

Brook hung her head. "But, I don't think that I can. I'm not strong enough."

“You must," pressed Framp firmly, even as affection showed on his face. "We will always be with you and you can do this. We have faith in you. Now you must have faith in yourself."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Swifttail bounded down the lower levels of the temple and he hadn't realized that he got there. But, he didn't mind the underground traveling. He continued forward, breathing heavily with his tongue lolling from his mouth. He didn't even realize where he was going or what he was looking for. He just kept walking.

He then stopped as he saw a large tiger in front of him. Her muscles were tense and her eyes were a brilliant sapphire. She purred when she saw him. "Hello, Swifttail. I've heard so much about you."

“Hello, who are you," he asked politely.

“My name is Sapphire. I was the master of Baghera, Brook's mother. I am also a mother. I had kits," explained Sapphire as he came forward.

Swifttail twitched his ears. "What does this have to do with catching Inquisitors," asked Swifttail.

“Nothing. It has to do with your state of mind," pointed out Sapphire as she twitched her tail to and fro. "Being a father has affected you greatly."

“Yes, it has," murmured Swifttail growling. "I lost my mate, but I love my kits. Again, what does this have to do with anything, Master Sapphire?”

Sapphire sighed as she began to pace back and forth. "I'm just getting an assessment of all of this." Her eyes were troubled and deep as though pools of emotion reflecting grief. "Do you think that you can stand up to the Empire, Swifttail?"

“I like to think so, but I don't know. I will try to do whatever it takes to take them down," he reassured, hoping that this is what Sapphire wanted to hear.

Sapphire laughed as she hung her head. "I remember wishing that things could've been different when I was younger during the war. But, I'm sure that you'll be able to understand all this. You will be able to raise your kits in a world where fighting isn't the top priority, I'm sure."

Swifttail suddenly hunkered down, snarling as he saw a large tom with a red lightsaber slicing through everyone around him. He then turned with his cold eyes shinning and a smile with blood dripping from his teeth. 

He then sprang back and looked to Sapphire. "What was that?!"

“That is what could happen. The future is not set in stone," growled Sapphire.

Before Swifttail could ask anymore questions, rocks and splinters began to fall all around. He looked up in shock as Sapphire motioned to the opening at which he had come. "You have to go."

“Wait. I need to know more," argued Swifttail, digging his claws stubbornly into the ground.

“Go," spat Sapphire as she disappeared. "Before the fear of the future consumes you."

Swifttail reluctantly turned and bolted through the undergrowth, careful not to fall on anything or trip over something. He emerged and nearly collided with Keen. Halftail, Kanan, Ezra, Ahsoka, and Brook followed from behind. They pelted through the fallen temple, hearing the laughs of Inquisitors rapidly approaching.

Brook stopped as she looked over her shoulder and heard her mate purring. She then turned back and surged forward and into the Phantom.

“I didn't get much," confessed Swifttail with his head bowed. 

Ezra raised a hand. "I think I did. I think I know what Master Yoda wants us to do. I think I know how to destroy the Inquisitors."


	104. Fade Away

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Loosing Chopper is not as relieving as it sounds.

Halftail dozed off with a paw draped over his eyes in the cockpit of the Ghost. It was the only place that he could find where no one else would disturb him for at least a bit. He had almost fallen into a deep sleep when he heard footsteps approaching.

“Halftail, it's time for the meeting. You can sleep after," Kanan told him gruffly.

Halftail rolled onto his paws, swiping his tongue over his lips. He lifted from the chair and strode after Kanan sluggishly. He yawned with his jaws stretched wide, exhaustion pulling at every hair on his pelt. He just wished that they weren't always going so that he could take a cat nap every now and again.

They made their way into the large hanger with a scene of planets floating around it. Halftail clambered around Kanan with Swiftail on his other side. 

“We have numerous areas for a base but I think that we should start here," explained Hera as she pointed to a cluster of planets. "But, we're going to have to refuel halfway through. There's an Empire base that will work right here."

“It should work," murmured Bluefeather as she flicked out her wing tips. "Well, let's get going before we have issues. Come on!"

They bounded forward, prepping the systems for a long flight with some complications along the way. Their flights never went smoothly.

“Halftail, can we help," begged Snowfall as she skidded forward, nearly falling forward in her haste.

Halftail smiled as he flicked his tail tip. "Alright, go and see if Bluefeather and Hera need any help. I'm sure that they would enjoy some extra paws yearning for experience."

Snowfall took off and left her other three littermates looking at Halftail expectantly. Halftail set his jaw before he turned and saw Keen walking forward, not looking like he had anything else better to do than look after a few kits. 

“Keen, do you think that you could do me a favor," asked Halftail hopefully.

Keen brightened as he skipped forward. "Sure! What do you need me to do," he asked as he wiggled his wings that spread from his back.

“Could you show these kits what it means to learn how to fight," asked Halftail with his tail skirting against the ground.

Keen nodded eagerly as he saw the kits almost bombard him, leaping and swiping at his shoulders. "Sure, no problem. I'm not that good myself, but I promise that I can try," he told them as he nudged them each forward as they threaded around his paws, tripping him as he walked. "Come on." He had to turn back for Blizzardstorm once, but even the blind kit was able to figure out where he needed to go.

Hafltail watched them go before he went over to Birchfoot's room since he hadn’t been at the meeting. He knocked on the door and heard a gruff, "Come in."

He obeyed as he came forward, closing the door softly behind him. Halftail sat down in his usual spot, feeling like he was supposed to be in therapy or something with all of the sitting and talking he did with Birchfoot. 

Birchfoot flicked his tail tip impatiently. "What can I do for you, Halftail?"

“I was wondering if you had a higher dose of my injection," Halftail grumbled into his chest fur. Shame clung to him like a second pelt for the fact that he was actually asking Birchfoot this question and admitting defeat.

Birchfoot turned and twitched his ears in surprise. "Injection? Higher dose? Those are two words that I never thought that I would hear from the great Halftail."

Halftail gritted his teeth in frustration. He hated when Birchfoot spoke like that. "Yes, I would like a slightly higher dose of it. But, you can't say anything. I can't have someone think that I'm even weaker than before!"

“Halftail, you're not weak by any means. You're exceptionally brave to bring this to my attention without me finding it out with you sprawled on the ground in your newest fit. You know your body better than anyone, even me. You know when you need an increase," Birchfoot murmured as he scratched at his muzzle lightly with his useless hind leg.

Birchfoot then rose to her paws and strode over to Halftail. He lowered down to where he kept Halftail's medication and lifted it up gingerly and held it to the light. "It'll take me a little bit to synthesize it." He then picked up another vial and tossed it to Halftail.

Halftail caught it gingerly in his paw. "But, take this for now. It won't be long," reassured Birchfoot as he passed Halftail another syringe.

Halftail picked it up and tucked the vial into it. He then injected it into his vein and felt the familiar burn of fire. He groaned in misery with his paw shaking as it sometimes did, especially if he didn't have enough. He eventually released the syringe and set it down. Birchfoot came and collected it as he tossed it aside. "You okay?"

Halftail nodded as he gulped. "Fine. Just waiting for it to kick in," he explained as he shook his head back and forth. He felt the dizziness start to abate as there was another knock at the door.

Birchfoot rushed to open it and saw Kanan standing there. "Hey, Birchfoot. Is Halftail here?"

Birchfoot nodded. "Yes, but I don't think that he should go out on this mission."

Halftail rose to his paws as he strode forward with his ears plastered against his head, favoring the leg he had just forced the injection into, glaring at Kanan when he sat back down. “It's okay, Birchfoot, I'm fine. I can complete the mission just fine, but thank you."

He then strode out and joined Kanan's side. They made their way to the back of the hanger. The rest of the group was already waiting before the hanger door went down. Halftail began down as he looked back to the kits. "Stay inside with Birchfoot. Don't come out for any reason, you understand me?”

“Yes, Halftail," they chorused, sensing the seriousness of the situation.

Halftail dipped his head as he padded down the ramp, looking around. His eyes managed to rest on the fuel cells a couple tail-lengths away. "This is going to be interesting," he muttered to himself.

Chopper suddenly slammed into him and Halftail was pushed aside. Halftail hissed as he turned back on Chopper, nearly thrusting a paw at him. "Chopper! What's the big idea? Do you honestly like to make my life a living nightmare?"

Chopper raised one of his legs and swiveled around while beeping loudly. Halftail plastered his ears against his head and allowed a growl to roll in his throat. "Yeah, that's your leg."

“I think that he's pointing at that one," explained Keen as Chopper continued to whirl and beep, nudging him slightly. 

Hera nodded in agreement. "Yeah, that does look like the same leg, but we're not here to shop," she pointed out as she nudged Chopper gently.

“Shopper," laughed Zeb as he nudged Molis, getting him to bust out laughing as well. "That's a good one. Shopper!"

Halftail then strode forward as he looked around, muscles tensed for the slightest hint of threat. "Follow me," he ordered as he scampered forward with Swifttail right at his side. They stopped behind some cargo boxes, breathing heavily and trying to keep himself even in all of this. 

Keen lowered down beside him with everyone else filing in a little while after him. "How are we doing this," asked Sabine as she looked at the Stormtroopers. "It's a lot more fortified than what we've seen."

“We'll be able to make it," reassured Bluefeather as she looked at her nephew. 

“Yes, but we have to be quiet and careful," Kanan explained. "But, I think that we need a plan."

Keen fluttered his wings slightly, smiling and nodding. "What if I was a distraction? They might think that I'm just a critter or something. I can do it."

Bluefeather let out a whimper while Molis shook his head. Halftail didn't seem to enjoy that idea either, but he had to learn to trust Keen sometimes. "Alright, I trust you. Do what you think you need to do."

Keen dipped his head as he scampered forward. He ducked behind some boxes, paws thundering against the ground. He then thrust out his wings and they fluttered against the ground to make some noise. 

The Stormtroopers immediately turned in the direction of Keen and Halftail flicked his tail to them. "Hurry up. We have to do this as quickly as possible for Keen's sake."

They nodded as they darted forward. Halftail stood watch with the rest of the crew grasping the fuel cells and taking off rather quickly so that they weren’t seen. As soon as they were halfway there, Halftail knew that it was time to bail Keen out.

He used the force to lift a rusty bottle and throw it right behind them. It shattered into a million pieces upon impact and the Stormtroopers jumped as they turned to see what that was, seeming to loose complete interest in Keen.

“Keen," whispered Halftail as he bounded forward, seeing his Padawan looking a little worried about how he was going to get out of it. 

“Halftail," breathed Keen in relief as he looked to his Master. "You didn't have to come for me."

Halftail drew forward and nudged a box aside so that he could see Keen better. "Of course I came for you. You're my Padawan and I wouldn't leave you to the wolves, so to speak."

Keen smiled in amusement as he crawled forward and toward his Master. He rose to his full height and padded forward at Halftail's side. Halftail nudged him forward and they darted forward with the Stormtroopers suddenly realizing what had happened. Halftail was tempted just to laugh at them for their fish-brained sense, but he was more worried about actually running into them. 

“Fly Keen," called Halftail urgently as his apprentice leapt through the air with his wings spread.

A shot rang out and nearly struck Halftail's throat. Halftail staggered as he darted up the hanger with Keen cheering him on. "Close it," ordered Halftail as he soon as he collapsed on the floor, panting loudly with his ears shoved forward.

Keen obeyed, and as soon as the doors closed, they took off. Halftail rolled onto his back and faced the ceiling. Everything went fuzzy for a heartbeat before Keen's face came into view and Halftail forced himself to look at him. "Halftail?"

“I'm okay, Keen. I'm okay." He then rolled onto his underbelly and rose back to his paws. "Are you okay?"

Keen nodded. "Yeah. But I don't want to do that again." 

“Me either," agreed Halftail before Swifttail came in, frowning with his kits following.

“That was fish-brained, both of you," pointed out Swifttail as he frowned at his father and friend.

Halftail shrugged his tensed shoulders as he strode forward with the kits dancing around his paws and nearly making him trip and fall, but that was pretty normal for him. "Yeah, well, without the fish-brained idea, then you can't tell who the smart ones are, huh?"

Swifttail tapped his paws impatiently as Halftail padded past him. Halftail nudged the kits as he made his way through the Ghost.

“Were you scared," asked Leafshine, eyes round

"Yes, I suppose that I was. Being a Jedi doesn't mean that you're not afraid. It means that you are afraid and you're able to overcome it," he explained as he touched his nose to Leafshine's ear. "Besides, I had the force and the force is more than able to help us accomplish our goals."

Leafshine seemed to take it all in before Molis came forward, nearly tripping over the kits. "If it's not Chopper it's one of you," he grumbled good naturally. "Speaking os which, where is Chopper?"

“I don't know," murmured Halftail as he narrowed his eyes. "Come to think of it he didn't try to push me off of the hanger. That’s rather unlike him.”

Molis narrowed his eyes thoughtfully as Sabine passed. "Sabine." Sabine stopped. "Have you seen Chopper?"

Sabine thought for a moment. "Come to think of it, I haven't. Check with Birchfoot. He's been here the entire time," she pointed out as she kept walking along.

“Yeah," murmured Halftail to himself. It wasn't that he was overly concerned about Chopper, but he was worried about what he could be getting himself into. He sighed as he made his way back to Birchfoot's room. He would have to talk to Birchfoot about not staying holed up in his room so much.

He knocked on the door and smiled when he saw Birchfoot there. "Halftail, please don't tell me you need something else?"

“No.....well yes. It doesn't have anything to do with my health. I was wondering if you've seen Chopper at all," he pressed the healer.

Birchfoot tipped his head curiously, giving it a tiny shake. "I'm afraid not. Come to think of it I haven't heard him either and he's always banging on my wall for whatever reason."

“Thanks. I better go find out where he went before we have more trouble," he whispered as he left Birchfoot and headed into the bridge.

“Halftail! We weren't sure we were going to see you," joked Kanan as he turned to his friend.

Halftail nodded distractedly. They had more time to talk about it later. "Hey, we can't find Chopper anywhere and I don't think that he's in the ship."

Hera sighed as she turned back. "I was afraid of this," she sighed as she shook her head. "But, he probably wanted that leg and just couldn't stop himself."

“But, we're gong to go back for him, right," asked Ezra in surprise at how indifferent Hera sounded.

Hera shook her head gravely. "Not right now. We have to keep going and join the fleet. We still need to find a base. That's the most important thing. Don't lose sight of it."

Ezra reluctantly nodded as Bluefeather stretched out her paw along the control panel. "We're closing in on the fleet. They just stopped."

“Stopped," echoed Halftail in surprise as he drew back. "Why would they do that?"

They suddenly broke out of hyperspace and Halftail gasped when he saw that they were under attack. He felt the Ghost quake underpaw before Kanan rushed forward, nearly pushing Halftail forward. "Come on! You can help me!"

Halftail obeyed as he followed Kanan with his shoulders thrown forward. He bounded into the canon controls with Kanan, helping him as best he could, but he was sure that he was just there so that Kanan could keep an eye on him. He had overheard Birchfoot asking Kanan to keep an eye on him, especially after he had asked for his medication to be upped.

“How did this happen," asked Kanan as he fired at the ships around him. "I thought this was protected."

Halftail rolled his eyes. "You and me both," Halftail grunted as he kept at Kanan's side, the explosions and flashing lights starting to make Halftail's head pound behind his eyes. He gasped as he felt black dots clot his vision.

“Kanan," murmured Halftail as he reached for his friend's leg to try and explain what was wrong, but he couldn't get it out in time.

He whimpered to himself as he felt himself falling. He fell down the ladder and when his head hit the ground, everything went black.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Halftail blinked open his eyes and saw the starry landscape that he had become accustomed to. However, just because he was used to it, didn't mean that he wanted to come here exceptionally often.

“Halftail, you don't look excited to be here."

Halftail's heart leaped in his chest as he turned swiftly and purred as he saw his mate coming toward him. 

"I am now that I know that you're here to greet me. I love everyone else, but you're the reason that I'm here."

Bine purred as she pressed her nose against her mate's as her eyes glowed in pure affection for him. "Well, I can't wait on you paw and tail. Now, something tells me that you're very conflicted.”

Halftail looked at his paws and away from Bine. "Conflicted? I'd say tired and frustrated is another word for it, not conflicted," he argued tersely. 

“Yet you think that you have to do it on your own. I'm not there anymore, but Kanan is as well as our son and others that care about you. You're allowed to ask others for help, especially Kanan. I don't want to see you going through this alone," Bine sympathized gently.

“I'm okay, really. I told Birchfoot I needed an increase and he gave me one." He looked at his paws. "If I start asking others for help they're going to know what's really wrong and they're going to think that I can't be a useful."

Bine's eyes widened. "No one thinks that, my love. You have to have more faith in them, just like they've had faith in you." She licked his ear. "Just like I will always have faith in you. I love you and no illness or injury will ever change that."

A purr rolled in her throat and seemed to melt away as Halftail felt her falling away from him as the world melted away.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

“I'm staring to think that you like being unconscious."

Halftail opened his eyes as he felt someone patting his cheeks firmly. He pulled away before he realized that it was Birchfoot. "You haven't answered my questions."

“What happened," panted Halftail with a pained groan.

Birchfoot rolled his eyes. "What do you think? You passed out again. I told you not to ride that medication hard or it has undesirable side effects like you just witnessed."

“I know," murmured Halftail as he cleared his throat. "Did we get away?"

Birchfoot nodded as he picked up a syringe. "Yes, we did get away. We're going somewhere else that Chopper told us to."

“You found Chopper?"

“Yeah. We have Chopper. Everyone else is fine. You gave them a scare, but they're almost used to it by now."

“Figures," grunted Halftail as he leaned back and closed his eyes and sighed to himself. "I'm sorry, Birchfoot. I didn't even know that I was falling until it was too late."

“You really need to limit your stress. I told you that," muttered Birchfoot hotly. "You can't keep doing this to yourself or you will die!"

The coldness in Birchfoot's voice brought Halftail back to reality. 

Birchfoot seemed to know what he said and sighed with his shoulders thrown forward. "Just get some rest and we'll talk about this later or maybe we won't. I haven't decided yet."

Halftail turned and rested his cheek on the side of the bed that he was sleeping in. Actually, he was sleeping at the end of Kanan's bed.

“Get some sleep. You'll need it."


	105. Forgotten

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The final battles with the Inquisitors are looming closer and the Ghost crew fears they may not be prepared enough to handle it.

“Breathe, then attack. Don't just use your eyes as your only senses. Hearing and even taste can help you as well as the force. You're also a cat and a wolf. Use that to your advantage. Your wings, your tail, your claws, your fangs. Those are things that no one else has and you should use them. Now, let's see what you got."

“Awe, you always beat me," complained Keen as he lifted his lightsaber with one of his wings, the light reflecting in his eyes

Swifttail purred. "You always beat me with tooth and claw. Now we're adding them both in together. Come on, Keen. I have faith in you," he reassured as he activated his lightsaber and twirled it around as he reared on his hind legs. He rarely walked on his hind legs, but he could for a short period of time.

The two suddenly leaped forward, Swifttail flipping and turning slightly in the air. Their lightsabers collided before they drew backwards, Keen turning and hitting Swifttail in the face with one of his wings. Swifttail flew backwards, his lightsaber falling from his paw and rolling against the floor, landing right at Ezra's foot, who was watching intently.

Swifttail looked up just in time to see Keen leaping for him. He used the force to call his lightsaber back to him as he lifted it and the lights collided sternly. They used their weight before Keen thrust his wing down once more and took out Swifttail's paws from under him. Swifttail fell on his back while Keen thrust his lightsaber an inch from Swifttail's throat.

Keen then deactivated his lightsaber and extended his wing toward Swifttail. "Good match."

“You too," praised Swifttail. "That was amazing! See, you can beat me."

Keen hung his head. "You probably let me."

“And why would I do that," teased Swifttail as he nudged his head against Keen's shoulders affectionately. Keen yipped in pleasure, but Halftail couldn't accept that.

He loved that the two were closer than fur on a mole's pelt, but they couldn't be like this when they were fighting for their lives. Swifttail had to fight at his best to push Keen harder, not let the pup win because he was becoming frustrated. They were all frustrated, but that didn't mean that they gave in.

“Very good, both of you. You both had some good moves that I think that we should pay attention to. But, Swifttail, you weren't done just because you were on your back. You could have tucked and kicked Keen's paws or you could have reached for your lightsaber. It was right there,” Halftail assessed. 

Swifttail dipped his head, taking it all in until Keen realized that it was his turn.

“Keen, a battle will never be won this easy. We need to refine that a little more and your wings can't be your only weapons. Use everything that you have," Halftail pressed just as he heard excited cheering from the top of the railing.

He glanced up to find Swifttail's kits perched at the top of it, back far enough from where Swifttail had told them not to pass. They seemed excited beyond belief to see their father fighting like that. They were grinning from ear to ear and seemed to be trying to copy some of their father’s and Keen's moves, under Bluefeather's watchful eyes.

Halftail sighed as he looked up to Swifttail, seeing the pure love and grief etched on his face. "Go and spend sometime with your kits. Keen, why don't you see if Bluefeather wants to play a game or something? We'll take a break until we have a little more room," Halftail told them.

Swifttail didn't waste anytime racing over and up the ladder. His kits curled around him as he laughed and nudged them for a little more privacy to spend time with his kits. Keen flew toward Bluefeather and they headed into the cockpit side by side.

Kanan kneeled down and looked to Halftail. "Do you think that he's going to be able to tell them?"

“He'll be able to, but I highly doubt it's going to go over well," Halftail sighed as he looked at his paws. "I don't know how I'm going to leave them either. They're my whole world now."

Kanan grasped Halftail's shoulder comfortingly. "You should be with him when he tells them. This is going to effect them just as it effects you."

Halftail sighed when Sabine came to the edge of the railing. "We're almost there. Get ready to land," she announced.

Halftail nodded glumly, knowing what he had to say once they landed. He sighed heavily as he made his way over to Bine's picture, thinking that maybe things would be easier once he did. He looked up to her, seeing her magnificent blue eyes and whiskers that he could just imagine twitching on the side of her face in amusement about something that Halftail had just said. 

“Halftail, we're here," meowed Birchfoot as he poked his head around the corner. He then saw Halftail looking up at the picture. "Do you think that Bine is going to help you explain to the kits what's going on?"

Halftail stretched out, his back arching. "I wish, but I fear that I'm on my own," he pointed out with a sigh, his jaws stretched wide in a yawn. "Come on. Let's see what this base has to offer."

Birchfoot limped along with Halftail at his side. They emerged from the Ghost with Halftail looking around. It wasn't the nicest base that he had ever seen, but it certainly wasn't the worst either. There were rebels rushing around in every direction. It was almost comforting to watch.

“Wow, this is my kind of place," breathed Molis as he strode along.

“Your kind of place is the forest and alone. What are you talking about," jabbed Zeb as he hit Molis gingerly in the head with his stick. 

Halftail rolled his eyes as Swifttail walked forward with the four kits at his heels. "Stay close to me and don't get underpaw. I know this place is amazing, but I'd like to keep you all in one piece, if you know what I mean."

“Don't worry, Dad. We'll stay together and stay away," reassured Snowfall as the rest of her littermates nodded in agreement.

“Yeah, okay." Swifttail lifted his head and twitched his ears, signaling to his father.

Halftail lowered his head into his shoulders, licking his lips. He reluctantly made his way forward with his tail strewn behind him. He stopped at his son's side, looking to some cargo boxes. "Let's go over there. It'll offer at least some privacy."

“Kits, come with Halftail and me. There's something that we need to discuss," Swifttail explained as he led the way to the cargo boxes. He even went back for Blizzardstorm when he started to veer off the path of his littermates. He led him back to the rest of them before the family tucked themselves with the cargo supplies.

Halftail sat down and curled his half tail around his paws, sighing heavily as he looked down slightly. The kits were alternating between looking at her father and their grandfather. It seemed to take a while before Swifttail worked up the courage of what to say to his kits and probably how to say it. 

“Now, I know that you have been paying very close attention to what we've been doing. There's something really, really important that I and your grandfather are going to have to go away for a little bit, as well as Keen, Ezra, and Kanan."

“Go away," echoed Blizzardstorm as he tilted his head in surprise. "Go away where?"

Swifttail sighed. "I don't know," he answered as he looked at all of them with understanding in his eyes. "But, it will be for a while and I don't know when I'm coming back."

“B-But what if you don't come back," gasped Leafshine as her eyes rounded like moons. 

Swifttail looked panicked now. "I'm sure that I'll come back. I—“

“What if you're like mother and you don't come back," gasped Blizzardstorm as he drew away from his father, his fur fluffing up along his shoulders.

Swifttail looked over to Halftail pleadingly. Halftail stifled a sigh as he came forward before the kits could really get themselves worked up. "We can't promise anything, you all know that. But, we are going to do our best to come back. Have faith in the force and in us. We need you to be strong for us back here. Can you all do that for you Dad and I?" 

Adderfang took a step forward, motioning for the rest of his littermates to do the same. They obeyed as he nodded. "We can do it! Just like Dad!"

Swifttail smiled as he leaned closer to them. Adderfang may have seemed alright with all of it, but Leafshine, Snowfall, and Blizzardstorm did not seem to share his confidence. Swifttail curled around them, pulling each of them close to his body with his tail. "StarBound willing we will be back and then we're going to have a lot of fun and adventures when I do."

“Halftail!"

Halftail turned and saw Kanan standing with worry on his face. "We received a distress call from Sabine and Rex. We have to go now!"

Halftail dipped his head as he turned to the kits. "Stay here with Birchfoot and don't leave," he ordered as he and Swifttail pelted forward, quickly heading into the the Ghost just as the doors closed. 

The Ghost took to the air as they flew to where Sabine had sent out the distress signal. Halftail made his way to the front, gazing out with his ears slightly pivoting on his head as he tried to pick something up. He narrowed his eyes and managed to see Sabine fighting something that he just couldn't make out.

“What are those things," breathed Bluefeather.

“I don't know, but we can't just let do whatever," Halftail growled as he darted to the back of the Ghost with the rest of the group following.

They drew blasters as the Ghost’s back doors opened and they fired at the creature that Halftail knew now was some sort of spider. He hissed as they continued to fire at the spiders, forcing them backwards.

The Ghost then landed as Halftail and Swifttail darted out, bristling the fur along their shoulders. Swifttail bounded over to Sabine, making sure that he was alright. "Are you okay," he fretted.

“Fine," reassured Sabine through gritted teeth as she looked around. "But, one of those things took Rex."

“We have to get him back," pointed out Keen as he leaped from the back, his claws curling into the ground. 

Halftail dipped his head in greenest. "We will. We just have to be careful. Those things don't look pleasant and the last thing we need is to tangle with something we can't face."

“This'll be the perfect opportunity to perfect my fighting skills, right," asked Keen eagerly. "Isn't that what you have been telling us?”

Halftail gritted his teeth together, letting out a forced sigh. He hated when his Padawans became smarter than him. "Yes, I suppose. Just stay sharp. Kanan, how about you lead the way?”

Kanan nodded as he took off with the rest of the crew following. Everyone had their blasters or lightsabers lifted, poised and ready to strike. The lightsabers provided enough light to see through the darkness, even though the animals could see in the darkness better than the humans. 

“I can smell all kinds of those creatures in here. I just don't know which scent to follow," announced Keen as he snorted out moisture, trying to catch another scent.

“Just tell us when you've really got something, Keen," explained Halftail as he crept forward, his lightsaber still held over his head. He had a bad feeling about this and he couldn't even explain it. 

They continued forward until they reached a fork in the road. Kanan used his lightsaber to light the path through each one, drawing back to peer into each one. "We're going to have to split up," he muttered uncomfortably.

“Okay, Keen, Swifttail, you stay with Hera and Molis while—“

“No," interrupted Hera and Halftail's ears twitched in surprise. "Kanan, Halftail, Swifttail, Keen, and Ezra you go and the rest of us will go the other way."

Halftail clearly didn't like the idea as he flicked his tail tip to and fro. He then relaxed slightly as Kanan agreed and strode forward with the rest of the following, Halftail bringing up the rear. They continued forward with their lightsabers raised to see what was going on around them.

Suddenly, there was a clicking sound as a spider touched down in front of them, it's pinchers working furiously. Halftail, Swifttail, and Keen darted forward, growling and baring their teeth in a snarl. The spider let out a sound of it's own and Halftail attempted to assess where he would go. 

“Wait, let me try and connect with it," offered Ezra as he stretched out his hand toward the spider.

Keen's eyes widened in disbelief. "Are you kidding me?! Do you really think that you should try and connect with a creature like that," he snapped back to him.

“Just let me try. If I can connect with something as prickly as Keen I can connect with this," Ezra reassured as he crept forward with his hand still extended, breathing heavily.

Halftail knew that it wasn't a good idea. Despite that, Ezra kept creeping forward with his hand outstretched, fingers splayed. The spider suddenly lunged for Ezra and knocked him backwards.

Swifttail and Keen immediately leaped, outstretching their paws and snarling in rage. Swifttail slashed his teeth against the spider's flesh, causing blood to spurt and drench his white and black fur. The spider turned and thrust an appendage against Swifttail's body, sending him flying. He fell against the wall and whimpered as he collapsed.

Kanan leaped into the air and thrust his lightsaber down through the spider's head. The spider hissed and crackled before he fell down with his appendages falling over his head. Kanan jumped off of it and turned to Ezra, narrowing his eyes to unforgiving slits.

“What were you thinking?! I should teach you common sense next," bellowed Kanan.

Keen bounded over to Swifttail and nudged him gingerly. Swifttail lifted his head and groaned as he rose to his paws, shaking out his flank. "Those buggers are nasty," Swifttail hissed as he shook out each paw in turn, arching his back and shaking his head. 

“We better get going," grunted Halftail as he continued to look around with his eyes shinning in the darkness. "There are going to be more of them and we better go before they corner us."

Kanan nodded as he darted forward with the rest of them following. The darkness was all consuming, but Halftail deactivated his lightsaber. He would walk through it in complete darkness. He let his senses drift as he walked, his claws gripping the ground hard.

Beside him, Keen snorted and pawed at his nose. "I can still smell something, I think. Why can't I smell more of it?"

“It's alright," chided Halftail as he came toward his Padawan. "You'll figure it out. Besides, if you're not used to being underground then it's difficult to pick apart scents down here."

Keen shook his head as he growled and bounded forward. They climbed forward at a slight incline and Halftail had no idea where they were going. They were traveling all around and letting the force guide them. 

“Now I hear something," Keen snapped as he stood, his back buckling slightly. "Does anyone else?”

Before they could answer, more spiders darted forward seemingly out of nowhere. Halftail activated his lightsaber and thrust it right between one of the spiders's eyes. But, another spider just replaced it. Halftail was hit sideways as his his head the back. He then shook his head and continued forward, deicing to go with tooth and claw.

The fighting continued before Ezra cried as a spider plowed over him, trying to sink it's pinchers into him. Keen's eyes widened as he darted forward, slashing at the spider. The spider then leaped forward, sinking it's pinchers into Keen's foreleg. Keen howled in agony with his back slightly bucking and eyes squeezed shut. He spat a bit as he squeezed his eyes shut, shaking his head to clear the black dots from his vision.

The spider then released him and he laid on the ground, his body shaking lightly, but not intense enough for a seizure. Swifttail then leaped forward and forced the spider back by twirling his lightsaber threateningly. He looked around as more spiders swamped around. "We have to get going. These things are coming faster than we can cut them up!"

Halftail pressed his paws against the ground and heard shots and vibrations from under him. He perked up immediately. "They're right below us. We're going to have to cut our way down," he announced as he took out his lightsaber.

Kanan came before him as Swifttail pulled Keen toward him. Keen had managed to rise to his paws, but his foreleg was swelling fast and he couldn't place any weight on it. Halftail, Ezra, and Kanan began to work their lightsabers against the ground until the ground finally gave way.

They landed on top of a spider that was about to sink it's fangs into Hera. Kanan leaped down with the rest of them following.

“Nice of you to join us," muttered Molis as he shook out his flank. "This is madness!"

“Noted," breathed Halftail as he shook out his paws. "We have to go!" A spider let out a cry of rage. "Now!"

The crew surged forward with Halftail insisting on bringing up the rear. Keen limped in front of him, nearly falling over his swollen paw. Halftail helped Keen to his paws and nudged him forward. "Go, Keen!" 

“I'm....trying," puffed Keen as he managed to find a rhythm with his limp, thanks to the rush of adrenaline that pulsed through him.

They emerged from the underground tunnel and Halftail let out a breath of relief. He never wanted to go underground like that again. He was a puma, not a snake!

They all broke into a run with more spiders following, their legs thundering against the ground. Halftail picked up the pace and was pleased to see Keen take to the air by flight with his wings spread out and his eyes narrowed to slits. It was clear that he was as determined as the rest of them.

“Chopper, open the back," screamed Hera. "Chopper!"

The hanger of the Ghost finally stooped down and they dove in. They began to close it just as another spider tried to work it's way in. A growl rolled in Halftail's throat as he leaped forward, thrusting a claw right through one of it's eyes. The spider was momentarily stunned and Halftail was able to kick it backwards. It rolled out of the way as Halftail leaped back, sighing heavily in fear with his head shaking to and fro.

The Ghost hanger doors closed as he strode forward, seeing Keen slumped against the wall, paw clutched close to his chest. Swifttail was with him, gingerly pawing at the wound. "It's filled with venom. When I get back I'll let it seep out before I try anything. But, I can't do it here. It's not sterile enough."

“We'll be there soon," reassured Halftail right when the ship tried to take off. However, it stalled, staying right where it was.

Swifttail looked around as he continued to prod and poke at Keen's paw to see what was wrong. "What's going on," he asked.

“I'll figure it out," announced Halftail as he bounded forward. He came to the cockpit and immediately leaped back as he saw a spider leaping onto the window. The fur along his spine stood on end as he felt them walking all over. "They're everywhere!"

Hera kneeled down with Bluefeather doing the same thing. "Get ready to give them that jolt. One. Two. Three!"

An electrical shock ran through the entire ship, jolting the spiders on top of the ship. But, it did little to deter them. If anything it made them even more aggressive to the ship.

“Do it again," called Kanan from one of the canons 

Hera shook her head. "I can't! We'll run out of power if we do it again. We barely have enough to get off of the ground."

“We have to get out there and cut off the webs," explained Ezra as he climbed into the cockpit. 

Bluefeather shook her head as she leaped down and landed beside Ezra. "How are we going to do that when we have to fight them every inch of the way? There's too many of them. We’d never make it.”

“The markers," Sabine suddenly whispered. "The markers! They don't like the markers. If we got the marker then we could walk without them even coming toward us."

Kanan crossed his arms. "And how exactly are we going to do that?"

“I have an idea, but I don't know if it's going to work," confessed Ezra thoughtfully.

“There's been a breach!"

Molis surged forward and stopped by Rex's side. There was a spider trying to get in through the air ducts and doing a pretty good job of it. Molis bared his teeth in a snarl while Rex began to shoot at him.

“You guys go! I'll hold this one off but hurry. If one can get in, they all can get in," Rex called frantically. 

Halftail led the way, darting forward. He thrust his paw against the control panel as the hanger door lowered down. He hissed as he lifted his lightsaber, ready to use it if any of those creatures came close. 

“Hera, Bluefeather, Molis, Zeb, you go up front. Sabine, you stay on the hanger. Kanan, Halftail, and I will do the rest," he announced since Swifttail was still tending to Keen inside.

Sabine shrugged. "Why am I standing here?"

Halftail flexed his paws. "Because you're going to be going for a ride." He clawed at the ground. "On three. One. Two. Three!"

They sent Sabine flying a little too far. But, she climbed the edge and was able to rush to the marker. As soon as she picked it up, the spiders began to leave her alone. She waltzed forward as she made her way to the Ghost.

“Let's get to work," decided Kanan as he, Halftail, and Ezra began to slice through the webs and destroy them.

They made quick work before they walked backwards to the Ghost. They made their way in just as the door closed. Halftail sighed in relief with his head shaking. He was getting too old for this.

He then rose to his paws as he strode to Birchfoot's room. Swifttail was now set up in there with Keen. Keen was sleeping fitfully, but sleeping nonetheless. 

“Is he okay," fretted Halftail.

Swifttail nodded cautiously. "He will be. He needs to have some antivenom back at the base, but he'll be okay. Bravest and stupidest pup that I've ever met. He's loyal as anything, though."

Halftail couldn't argue with that. He felt the jolt when the ship landed and he was more than ready to spend some time with his kits. They seemed like the only stable thing that he had at the moment, even though they were going to have to be separated for a while.

Halftail headed out with Swifttail nudging Keen to wake him up. Keen grunted as Swifttail helped him to his paws. They limped out of the Ghost with Halftail on Keen's other side to make sure that he didn't stagger and fall.

Birchfoot greeted them away and took Keen. "One day you all are going to come back with no injuries," he muttered to himself before he took off.

Halftail then nudged Swifttail's shoulder. "How about you go and spend sometime with your kits before we have to go? I know that they'll appreciate it."

“Thank you. I think that they will." Swifttail bounded forward and his kits laughed as he began to play with them.

Halftail smiled to himself when he heard purring behind him.

“Children are a blessing. Leaving them is the hardest thing that you could do," a voice breathed.

Halftail shook his head. "Losing them is even harder, as I'm sure that you're well aware, Brook."

Brook worked her claws against the ground, licking her lips thoughtfully. “Of course I know. Now, are you ready for what we might face? What we might lose?"

“I can't lose anything more than I've already lost," snorted Halftail in anger.

Brook brushed against Halftail and purred slightly. "I've found that you can always lose more. When you go looking for trouble, never be surprised when it finds you. Halftail, we are walking right into trouble and there will be no way out."


	106. Rise Or Fall

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Everything that Halftail has ever fought for begins to seep right through his claws.

Halftail sighed as he flew forward in the Phantom with Swifttail, Keen, Kanan, Ezra, Ahsoka, and Brook. It sounded like a lot of Jedi, but Halftail knew from experience that this place would entail a lot of Jedi. Even this amount might not be enough. Swifttail, Keen, and Ezra were still Padawans and this mission could be extremely dangerous for them. Halftail would try his best to keep them alive since they were the most important things in his life. His crew was his family.

His ears pivoted on his head as he heard a message from Rex. He knew that he shouldn't eavesdrop, but it was nearly impossible. He had grown to at least make it look like he wasn't eavesdropping and he didn't usually repeat what he heard.

“Are you sure that you two don't want me to come? I can be there in exactly two planetary rotations," offered Rex as he looked up to Ahsoka with hope shinning in his eyes.

Brook purred warmly before she shook her head. "Thank you, Rex, but we can take care of ourselves. Just make sure that everyone back there obeys themselves," she purred, meaning Swifttail's kits.

“No problem, Brook," Rex reassured, looking past her to Ahsoka. "Do you remember our first battle together?”

“Like it was yesterday. Experience still outranks everything and I think that means that I outrank you now," Ahsoka told him as Rex smiled back.

“May the force be with you," he told her just when the message went blank. Ahsoka stood up and made her way over to the front of the ship with Brook right behind.

“Why is Rex so worried about us," asked Ezra gloomily.

Brook lifted her head, her whiskers twitching. "He knows where this place is and that we're not supposed to go. It's dangerous," she answered.

“Dangerous," echoed Swifttail as he twitched his tail tip. "How?"

“It's a Sith temple, Swifttail. It's unheard of for Jedi to go there. But, Yoda seems to have a death wish for us," muttered Halftail with a roll of his eyes. "I'm not the only one who feels that way, am I?"

Kanan shook his head. "I think that he knows what we have to do and that we can do it. He has faith in us. You should too, Halftail."

Halftail didn't say anything more on it as they landed. It was a lot darker and dustier than Halftail would have thought, but they weren't going to be outside for long. It was the conditions in the temple that they would have to be worried about. 

“Keep close," meowed Halftail sternly as he caught sight of Swifttail’s and Keen's eyes. "I don't want anyone to get lost or to take on anything that they can’t handle."

They nodded as they strode forward quietly. Kanan and Ahsoka led with the rest of them in the middle and Brook bringing up the rear with her ears swiveling around on her head. She had the best sense of hearing and the last thing that she wanted was for them to be attacked from behind.

“What's that," asked Ezra as he pointed to one of the black pillars that stuck up across the land. It seemed that for as far as you could see there were black pillars. 

They crept toward one as they continued to be on the lookout. Brook didn't look happy about something, but she wasn't likely to confess it to Halftail.

“I think that I can read this. It's old, but I studied it when I was younger," Ahsoka explained as she leaned close to it and tried to make it out.

Ezra suddenly stretched out his hand out and Halftail's eyes widened. "Ezra, don't!"

Too late. 

Ezra touched the black pilar and the ground began to quake under them. Halftail felt the ground give way and he yelped as he fell along with everyone else. The only one who didn't plummet was Keen, since he was able to catch himself with his wings spread outward.

The rest of them fell just as Halftail managed to catch himself with the force. He thrust out his paw and help slowed Swifttail a bit before he could stop himself. Swifttail braced himself as he rolled onto the ground, turning to his father with relief in his eyes. "Thanks."

“Don't mention it," Halftail grunted as he rose from his paws, instantly lurching back down as everything spun in front of him. Confusion showed in his eyes as he tried to compose himself. 

Brook bounded over to Halftail and tried to meet his eyes. "You alright?"

“Fine," murmured Halftail as he pulled away from her roughly. She may be blind, but she seemed to have insight that was uncanny. "I'm okay. Just stood up too fast."

“Liar," growled Brook, shaking out her fur the rest of the way and headed out, muttering again to herself about Halftail. 

“Ezra, why didn't you listen to Halftail? That would have made our lives a lot easier," pointed out Keen as he landed gingerly on the ground as he folded his wings against his flank. 

Ezra rubbed his fingers against his eyes. "Sorry. I didn't know that that was going to happen. Someone should have warned me before I touched it."

Kanan then grasped Ezra's shoulders before he could go after Keen all in good nature. "Let's put it behind us and keep going. We don't have time for quick jabs today. Save it for later."

“Yes, Kanan," Keen and Ezra chorused, taking off after Ahsoka and Brook. They started to lead the way through the temple, keeping quiet and keeping together.

“At least we got in," pointed out Swifttail as he looked back to Ezra. "Now we only have to figure why we were sent here and what we can do to defeat the Inquisitors."

“What's that," exclaimed Keen as he darted forward with his wings strewn backwards.

“Keen," snapped Halftail as he leaped forward, snorting deeply. "Haven't we learned not to rush out like that? For StarBound’s sake, calm down!"

However, Keen kept going. He leaped over a boulder, starting to creep forward with his underbelly nearly grazing the ground. He looked at what appeared to be Jedi and Sith frozen in place. They were black and lightsabers littered the ground. He picked up one with his wing and activated it. A thick green blade shot out, crackling and hissing as if it was a heartbeat from dying.

The rest of them joined Keen as Halftail placed the lightsaber that Keen was holding down. "There are stories about this. It says that Jedi came here to destroy the Sith temple, but this happened."

“Who won," asked Ezra as he kneeled down beside Keen, looking at the lightsaber that he had just held.

“No one," answered Ahsoka darkly.

Kanan shook his head, feeling a little more on edge. "That's great with the history lesson, but we should really keep going," he suggested as he nudged Halftail's haunch.

Halftail growled to himself as he strode forward. Keen suddenly froze with his head lifted and his ears twitching on top of his head. "Wait. We should stop."

“Now why, Keen? You can't honestly tell me that you're scared," Ezra taunted.

Keen shook his head feverishly. "No, I can smell and hear something. I just can't make out what it is."

Halftail rested his tail across Keen's shoulders and sighed. "Keen, if we get through this we're really going to work on your senses."

Keen suddenly leaped back and lifted his lightsaber. Halftail did the same as an Inquisitor flew through the air and slammed her lightsaber against Keen’s and Halftail's. The rest of them came over before the Inquisitor and kicked Halftail in the jaw. He skidded backwards, shaking his head as he felt the pulsating feeling of a fit right on the edge. 

He breathed heavily through his teeth, foam nearly dripping from his mouth. 

Brook darted over to him and stretched out her paw. "Let he help you," she offered, her paw stretched out a little farther from him since she couldn’t see, but Halftail could have certainly reached it if he wanted to.

With a smug glance, Halftail thrust her paw away. He growled as he rose to his paws, tensing his shoulders as he readied to dart forward. "I'm fine!" He sprang back into the battle just as he saw the ground give out right under Ezra's feet. Ezra gasped in shock as he fell to the ground.

“Ezra," cried Kanan as the Inquisitor leaped aside and charged back into the temple.

Kanan came to the edge, but Ezra waved him aside. "I'm okay. Just keep going. I'll catch up," he called up to his Master.

Keen came over and spread his wings partly. "I'll go down with him and stay with him, Kanan. Actually, I can bring him up."

“No you can't," growled Swifttail sternly as he nearly punched Keen on the shoulder. "Your wing has healed enough for you to fly, but not for you to fly with someone else!"

Keen grumbled reluctantly as he spread his wings and glided down, landing beside Ezra. Ezra scratched him behind the ears and the two started forward so that Halftail couldn't see them.

“Come on. Let's go after that Inquisitor," growled Swifttail and Halftail couldn't help but feel a pang of worry due to his son's overeagerness. That could be dangerous when he was a Jedi. 

They begrudgingly left Ezra as they headed after the Inquisitor at full speed. Swifttail surged forward with his claws extended. He leaped into the air and snarled with his ears shoved forward and eyes narrowed to slits. He stopped in front of the Inquisitor, hissing with his back arched. His lightsaber swung around in his tail and he couldn't help but prowl forward, twisting the lightsaber around.

Halftail swore under his breath as he thought about how reckless his son could be. He pelted forward and flipped in the air, lashing her tail against the ground. He lifted his lightsaber and dove in front of Swifttail, bringing up his lightsaber to shield his son from it. Halftail then pushed him backwards and used force on the Inquisitor.

“I had it," snapped Swifttail with his ears plastered against his head. "Stop treating me like I'm a kit!”

He charged past his father briskly and Halftail was at a loss for words. They continued to attack and drive back the Inquisitor, but Halftail just couldn't help but growl. He couldn't help but think at the warning that kept being whispered in his ears. He couldn't just ignore the warnings, but he needed to find a balance. They had gone through a time when Swifttail didn't want anything to do with him. He couldn't go through that again.

By the time that Halftail returned to the group, they had chased and caught the Inquisitor. "You're as slow as a slug! What took you so long," grumbled Brook as she lifted her tail and flicked off some dust from her pelt.

“Nothing," Halftail told her shortly as he looked to the Inquisitor that they caught. "Has she told you anything useful? Or anything at all?"

Kanan shook his head frustratedly. "She's just sitting here. Probably smug that we were actually able to catch her."

The Inquisitor finally looked up to Halftail and Halftail growled sharply. "You think that I'm the only one here? You think that you've won? Far from it!”

“Come on," snapped Ahsoka as she forced the Inquisitor to her feet. They dragged her forward, thinking about taking her back to be questioned. 

They continued forward as they looked around. No one enjoyed going deeper into the temple, especially with the darkness around them due to the Dark Side of the force seeming to close around them. Halftail felt it the most out of everyone as well of his group. But, he was sure that he might just be paranoid.

“You don't know what you're doing," whispered the Inquisitor as she exploded upwards and flipped in the air. Before Halftail could even think anymore about it, two more Inquisitors came and he growled in agitation. 

Halftail stood shoulder to shoulder with Brook, trying to take down the one Inquisitor that they had captured before. "This isn't going to work," muttered Brook as she flipped into the air, coming on Halftail's other side once he started to slow. A growl rolled in Halftail's throat as he felt his leg almost give way. Not now! Not now, he thought.

The sound of lightsabers colliding was electrifying. It made everyone fight harder. After all, they were fighting for their lives.

There was suddenly a flutter of wings when Halftail looked and saw Keen flying through the air. He landed easily, nearly pushing Halftail backwards.

“What are you doing," asked Halftail, too shocked that he was actually there to seem overly angry. 

Keen smiled as he looked over his shoulder at a now strange lightsaber wielder that was facing the Inquisitors as if it was nothing. "He's got this."

“Who's got this," murmured Halftail at the strange man. 

The man turned to face them and a growl rolled in the back of Halftail's throat. This man looked like the devil with a red face and black lines etched over his features. He raised an eyebrow at Halftail before Ezra bounded forward with Keen following. "Everyone, this is Maul. Maul this is Kanan, Ahsoka, Halftail, Swifttail, Brook and you know Keen."

“Maul," echoed Halftail with his eyes now narrowed. He knew exactly who he was. He had heard hundreds of stories at the Jedi temple, especially from Master Sapphire who knew Obi-wan Kenobi well. Her own Master had once faced Maul when he was young. Maul was a Sith and a murderer, certainly not to be trusted. 

Clearly Kanan felt the same way. "Okay, Ezra, Keen, it's time for us to go. Coming here was a bad idea. We've already met three Inquisitors and we don't need to meet anymore."

“But, Kanan, Maul knows where the holocron is. We just need to get to it. It's up there," explained Ezra. "And I think that we should go." 

Keen wagged his tail in agreement. "I think that we should go too! Don't you trust us," asked Keen as he met Halftail's eyes steadily.

Halftail felt torn. He didn't want to agree with him, but he had to trust his Padawan sort of. "Let's take a vote," suggested Halftail. "All in favor of staying raise your hand or whatever else you have."

Keen, Ezra, Ahsoka, Maul, and Swifttail raised their hands, paw, and tail. Halftail, Kanan, and Brook were against it, but that didn't matter much now. 

Kanan reluctantly lifted his comm to speak to Chopper. "Chopper, stay out. We don't need you right now. We're not done." He then set down and narrowed his eyes. "Lead the way."

Maul took the lead while Ezra and Keen bounded at his side, holding onto his every word. Halftail forced himself to hang back, because he feared if he didn't that he might launch himself at Maul. By the way that Kanan was smirking he could tell that he was thinking the same thing. Brook and Ahsoka seemed oddly calm in all of this. 

They made their way to the edge of the temple as Maul touched the surface. A small section came down and Maul stood on it with Ezra and Swifttail coming on. He stretched out his hand to the rest of them. "Only two humans and two animals, maybe."

“Animals," echoed Halftail with a shake of his head. "We prefer to be called companions if you must mention that we are a different species."

Maul just rolled his eyes before Kanan came forward, pushing Maul backwards. "Then I'll go!" Halftail then came forward, but not before giving Maul a snarl as he passed. The section of the temple began to rise and Halftail let out a breath of relief to be alone with his son.

“You need to be careful," Halftail chided to break up the silence. "You don't know what Maul is capable of." 

Swifttail turned away from his father. "Dad, what's your problem today? I have a mind of my own. I can think of myself."

“Yes, I am well aware," meowed Halftail tersely.

Swifttail looked momentarily stunned, quickly morphing to enraged. "Is this about Aderleaf? Because those are my kits and I probably shouldn't have had them, but I will never regret it! What is your problem?!" 

Halftail didn't answer. Swifttail huffed as he turned away sharply, growling under his breath. Halftail drew closer to Kanan, sitting down with his back touching Kanan's legs. Kanan seemed to be having the same problem with Ezra that Halftail was having with Keen and Swifttail. He could lead them to the water, but he couldn't make them drink. 

Suddenly, Keen let out a screech. "Watch out!"

Two Inquisitors were waiting for them and one flew over Kanan, kicking him in the head. He fell sideways with Halftail leaping forward, paws outstretched. His lightsaber activated and he dove for one Inquisitor. He clashed his lightsaber against his before another Inquisitor darted in and kicked Halftail in the side.

He flew through the air and slammed his head against the wall. He nearly gagged as the world started to go black around the corners of his vision. He lifted his head and groaned as he felt like he was going into a fit. He finally managed to lift his head slightly as he fought the fit with all of his might. He laid on his side and focused on his breathing and his claws that retracted into his paws. 

He heard someone saying his name, he thought, but he wasn't sure what was going on. He opened his mouth and gagged on his own air before Kanan rushed over, grasping his head in pain. He then nudged Halftail and grabbed his shoulders. 

“Halftail, look up at me. Halftail!” Kanan hit his head slightly. "Look up at me." He grasped Halftail's face and made him look up. Halftail's eyes opened slightly as he sighed a bit. 

Halftail managed to get a grip as he lifted his head with his own energy. Kanan continued to grip his face to make sure that Halftail wasn't going back into that fit. “Halftail, are you okay?"

“I'm fine," rasped Halftail. "I just hit my head."

That was extremely worrisome for Kanan to hear. He reached out his hand and helped him to his paws. "You should stay here, Halftail. Please."

“I'm fine. It was just a tap!" He knew well that it wasn't, but he couldn't have Kanan that worried for him. He was a Jedi and a Master to not one, but two Padawans, one being his son. He couldn't just quit, especially with something so important. "I can do this."

He limped forward and saw Maul helping Swifttail and Ezra from the edge of the temple. He gritted his teeth as Brook came over to him. "Halftail," she began fearfully.

“I'm fine," murmured Halftail shortly with his ears plastered his head as he forced himself forward, brushing past Brook. He then stopped at Keen's side and pretended that nothing had happened. "So, what did I miss?"

Ezra brushed himself off as he looked up. "I think that we should split up. We're too much of a target with all of us here," he pointed out.

Maul smiled. "I agree. Keen, Ezra, Swifttail, why don't you all go on ahead and I'll be right there. The rest of you can stay here."

They set off, but Kanan wasn't finished with him. "Wait a minute. I really don't think that we should do this. Maul you can't," he told him.

Maul grinned with his sharp teeth showing. "I have turned your apprentices. They're mine now and there's nothing that you can do about it. It's time for you to go."

He suddenly slashed at Kanan's face, his lightsaber searing against Kanan's eyes. "Kanan," screamed Halftail, fur spiking along his spine.

He then darted forward while Kanan flipped and kicked his foot against the underside of Halftail's jaw, catching him gingerly. But, that didn't mean much to Halftail. He fell backwards and the corner of his head hit right where he had hit his head before. 

His body arched and there would be nothing that would stop him from this fit. He gasped as he nearly wailed in agony.

“Halftail," Brook whimpered as Maul turned on her and Ahsoka. 

Brook hissed as Ahsoka thrust out her arm and made sure that Brook didn't dart to Maul. "What are you going to do now? Stop me," screamed Maul.

Ahsoka shook her head. "No, but he might."

Kanan suddenly stood with a mask over his face that he had found. He then surged forward with his lightsaber and began fighting Maul.

Halftail could just make out some of it to the best of his ability. He struggled to keep himself from convulsing as he continued to fight tiny body shakes.

Finally, Kanan thrust Maul over the edge of the temple. He then crumpled down as he rushed over to Halftail.

“Halftail," gasped Kanan urgently. “Halftail!”

Halftail looked up and blinked his eyes. "K-Kaaan...." 

He stopped as his eyes suddenly rolled back in his head as his back arched and he began to convulse. His top jaw when one way and his bottom jaw went the other. He was aware of Kanan hovering over him as he lost consciousness and the entire world went black.


	107. Fit and Fury

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A fight with Darth Vader may just be everyone’s last.

Brook's eyes widened. "Kanan, what's wrong with Halftail," she asked as she crept toward the convulsing tom hesitantly. She couldn't even detect his breath anymore. 

Kanan looked up through the helmet, squinting slightly. "I'll keep him. Just go and help everyone else. Now!"

Brook turned her attention up to Ahsoka, begging for her to tell her what to do. Ahsoka reluctantly nodded as she looked to Brook. "Come on, Brook. Let's get up there and stop them from making a huge mistake."

Brook twitched her right nicked ear, sighing as she began to climb the rock with burr sharp claws. They suddenly heard the sound of heavy, mechanical breathing accompanied by the sound of a lightsaber activated and snarls. 

“Keen! Swifttail! Ezra!” exclaimed Brook as she pelted forward with her paws barely connecting with the ground, muscles fluid and rippling as she streaked through the temple. She soared forward with Ahsoka pounding the ground right behind.

They climbed the temple and Brook’s jaws parted to taste the air. A mechanical sound combined with the familiar presence of the Dark Side was enough to set Brook’s fur on end. “Who’s there,” she snarled to the silhouette looming in front of them.

Ashoka lowered into a protective stance around Brook when she saw the frame of Darth Vader standing over Ezra’s and Swifttail’s body. Keen's body was strewn aside with his wings fallen over his face. 

“Perhaps I was wrong," breathed Vader as he raised his lightsaber, red blade sending a sickening glow against the ground.

“Wouldn't have been the first time," announced Ahsoka as she stood erect.

Darth Vader stopped dead as he deactivated his lightsaber. He turned and didn't seem surprised at all to see Ahsoka standing there with Brook at her side. 

“I thought that I sensed your presence here. Both of presences here. Can't say that I'm not surprised that you followed her here, Brook. Your mother would be very proud."

Brook's blind eyes hardened. "You killed my mother!"

“Your mother attacked Anakin Skywalker and tried to save him and couldn't. She stayed in my way and I had to end her. You understand that," Vader murmured silkily.

“I wanted to believe that Anakin Skywalker is under that mask, but he's not. Now I will avenge him," Ahsoka told him while Brook hissed beside her.

“Revenge is that the Jedi way," pointed out Vader.

Ahsoka's eyes hardened as she took out her lightsabers while Brook lifted her lightsaber. "We're not Jedi," announced Ahsoka before the two of them darted forward, beginning to battle with Vader.

As soon as the two drew Vader away, Ezra drug himself over to Swifttail, nudging his friend's shoulder. "Swifttail, wake up," Ezra urged. 

Swifttail's one eye opened and dilated as he lifted his head. He shook out his flank as he rushed to his paws, shaking his head. "I don't mean to be rhetorical, but this was a terrible idea."

Ezra sighed as he rubbed his fingers through his hair, looking down at his lightsaber. "I know. I know. See if you can wake up Keen. We have to get that holocron before Vader does."

Swifttail obeyed as he padded over to Keen, sighing as he saw his lightsaber broken on the ground. He kneeled down and nudged Keen's cheek harshly with his cold nose. "Keen, wake up. You need to get up."

Keen moaned in agony as he flicked a paw over his face. "I don't want to. It hurts," he complained as he shifted slightly, his wing now at another awkward angle.

“You're going to have forever troubles with that wing if you keep injuring it like that," pointed out Swifttail as he sunk his teeth into Keen's scruff and yanked upward hard.

Keen thrust his paws under him as he propped himself up, eyes overbright in pain and exhaustion. "I know. I really have to start picking my battles better," Keen sighed as he limped forward, his wing hanging low and his paw slightly twisted, probably broken.

Swifttail followed after, a small slice in his neck where Vader had gotten him. They made their way over to Ezra before Keen heard heavy breathing.

“Kanan," barked Keen excitedly as he pranced forward, his paws thundering slightly against the ground. He then let out a gasp as he saw the puma laying limp in Kanan's now shaking arms. "W-What—“

“Dad," gasped Swifttail, seeming almost numb with terror. "What happened, Kanan?"

“Long story," Kanan explained with his voice sounded a little hard to understand behind the mask that he had found.

Ezra tilted his head. "Kanan, your eyes," Ezra began as he tried to catch his Master's eyes, but Kanan didn't know where to look. His head was turning as he tried to determine exactly where Ezra was in front of him.

“I'll be fine. We need to get the holocron and get out of here," he sighed as his arms shook even more.

Keen nodded as he brushed against Kanan's leg as he tried to show the Jedi Knight where he was. "I can take Halftail for you. That way you can lean on Ezra," Keen offered with his tail wagging eagerly.

Kanan seemed reluctant as he gave Halftail one more tight hug before he set down the unconscious puma on Keen's shoulder. Keen slumped under the sudden weight before he caught himself and nodded. "Okay, I'm okay," he reassured when Swifttail crept closer to him. Swifttail reluctantly pulled away and gave a few forced nods. 

Kanan stretched out his hand to Ezra and Ezra allowed Kanan to lean on him. They continued forward as they made their way to the middle of the temple, where the holocron seemed to be floating between a layer of dark force and different energies. 

“I have a feeling that it's not going to be easy to get that out," confessed Swifttail as he gave his paw a few testing flicks before he readied himself. "On three. One. Two. Three!"

He leaned forward and grasped at it with Ezra and Kanan doing the same thing while Keen stayed watch with Halftail still on his shoulders and back. They yanked and pulled before they managed to yank it out and Swifttail fell backwards into Keen. Keen leaped back as his ears lifted.

“They're coming back," Keen announced with worry showing a bit on his face. "I can hear them!"

There was a sudden noise as Chopper flew the Phantom at the edge of the temple. Swifttail rose to his paws and bunched his shoulders. "Chopper's here. Let's go and hold it off until Ahsoka and Brook get back!"

They made their way forward, Ezra helping Kanan while Swifttail and Keen now both shouldering the weight of Halftail. They were almost to the Phantom when Ezra began to fall with the holocron almost falling from his hand. "Kanan," Ezra cried as his feet began to slide. 

Kanan grasped onto the holocron as well before Swifttail braced himself against Ezra's feet to try and keep him there. Swifttail turned her head and saw Darth Vader a few paces away with his hand raised. He kept taking more steps and Swifttail readied himself for the worst.

“Leave them alone," screamed Brook as she launched herself into the air, leaping onto Darth Vader's back and sinking her teeth into the back of his neck, around as much flesh that she could get. Vader made an odd sound with his mask, tossing Brook aside. Brook skidded against the ground, rolling shoulder over shoulder until she skidded to a halt.

Suddenly, Ahsoka thrust her lightsaber against half of Vader's face. Vader turned away and nearly collapsed.

Meanwhile, Ezra regained control of the holocron, but couldn't hold onto Kanan's weight anymore. Swifttail staggered into Keen and Keen nearly fell as he placed his weight on the ankle and it snapped. He gritted his teeth in agony and arched his back with Halftail nearly falling from it. 

“Ahsoka," Ezra screamed as he rushed forward. "Brook!"

Brook turned as Swifttail tried to follow Ezra. "Tell Birchfoot I love him and I’m sorry.”

Ahsoka then used the force to push the two of them backwards as the temple seemed to close around them. Swifttail stayed where Ahsoka had pushed him, his eyes widened with his heart seeming to twist in his chest.

“Ahsoka. Brook," he gasped as he just stood there with his shoulders tensing.

“Ezra! Swifttail," called Kanan as he fumbled around with his hands grasping at the air. 

Swifttail forced himself to turn as he came to Keen's side. He helped Keen to his paws while grasped his father as well. Keen slumped against his friend and the two limped forward slowly, barely making it to the Phantom before collapsing. Kanan and Ezra immediately followed.

The Phantom door closed behind them and it was then that Swifttail could recognize his own heavy breathing. He gulped as he came over to Keen, knowing that he needed to see what was wrong with his paw sooner rather than later. He touched his nose gingerly to it and Keen drew backwards in agony.

“Sorry, sorry. It's tender and broken. But, when we get back I'll be able to set it and we'll be right as rain," meowed Swifttail before he saw Kanan pawing around and he accidentally hit his nose.

“Let me see Halftail. I'll make sure that he's okay," Kanan croaked.

Keen limped over and arched his back with Halftail on it. Kanan scooped up Halftail and Halftail made no inclination that he could feel any of it. Kanan held Halftail close and the puma's head rested against Kanan's chest. 

Ezra sat on Kanan's side with Swifttail on Kanan's other side and Keen leaping up beside Ezra. 

“Ahsoka.....Brook," began Keen, not knowing where else to go with it.

The group of them then bounded together, crying softly and grieving for what had just happened.

The trip back to the base wasn't long, but it felt much longer than the trip there with two less bodies taking up space and cracking jokes. When they landed, Kanan insisted on still holding Halftail. He didn't want to set him down and felt like he could walk, so they allowed him to.

The Phantom doors opened and Kanan walked out first with Halftail. There were gasps around at the unconscious creature in Kanan's fleeting arms.

Birchfoot darted forward with a few other nurses following. "I need you to take him to the medical room right away," he demanded as he looked around. "Get the medication ready and a blood transfusion. Oxygen machine set. I may have to incubate!"

All of the medical terminology wasn't helping anyone and Kanan nearly wouldn't let them take Halftail from him. But, he finally did and Birchfoot limped along from behind.

Swifttail and Keen came out with Ezra next. Swifttail's four kits darted forward and wove around their father, nearly tackling him as they sobbed into his fur. Swifttail nuzzled all of them between the ears affectionately and tried to calm them down with reassuring whispers and soft murmurs.

His head then shot up as he heard Keen's body slam against the ground. "Stay with Bluefeather. I need to help Keen," he told them as he bounded over to Keen and propped his shoulder under him. "Alright, Keen. Walk with me, not against me."

Keen nodded weakly as they both limped forward together.

Swifttail couldn't help but feel numb as he thought about what just had happened; how much they had all lost and what had happened. He thought that he was making a difference! He thought that it would matter! But, all that he realized is that they were all stars among planets.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you to everyone who has read this story and I hope that you all enjoyed! It was so fun to write and I enjoyed every minute of it. Thanks again and I hope that you all stay safe and healthy!

**Author's Note:**

> The first few chapters will be shorter and set up the story so bare with me. Things will get a lot more interesting I promise!


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